NCCOS teamed up with the Office of National Marine Sanctuaries and Great Lakes Environmental Research Laboratory to collect 322 underwater videos off the coast of Wisconsin in Lake Michigan. The videos are paired with sonar data acquired in June 2017, as well as coastal bathymetry data collected by the National Coastal Mapping Program, to develop maps of underwater resources in Wisconsin waters and support the proposed Wisconsin – Lake Michigan National Marine Sanctuary. Together, the videos and sonar data reveal new perspectives of the geology, ecology and maritime heritage of this seldom-explored swath of the lake. The field mission is part of a three-year NCCOS-funded study to better understand ecological and maritime heritage resources in the proposed sanctuary.
- An example of lakebed habitat with high relief. Vast quantities of macroalgae were observed in areas of low relief in this picture and across the study area. Credit: NOAA
- The RV R2604, a GLERL science vessel, was used to navigate to sites and collect underwater videos. Credit: NOAA
- Equipment used to collect videos and spatial position. Information on the location of videos is imperative to accurately associate video data with lakebed swath imagery. Credit: NOAA