Discovery: Historic Shipwreck Found in Lake Huron
;s crew. Accounts from the wreck's two survivors provide details about the loss of the vessel in "Shipwreck Alley"—an area of Lake Huron known for its treacherous waters that have claimed the lives of many sailors.The 190-foot steamer Charles J. Kershaw departed Ashtabula, Ohio, on Lake Erie, with the schooner barges Ironton and Moonlight in tow. The vessels sailed empty, destined for Marquette, Michigan, on Lake Superior.At 12:30 a.m. on Sept. 26, while sailing north across Lake Huron under clear skies, Kershaw's engine failed, leaving the ship without power. A few miles north
Ballast Water Management is Reducing the Flow of Invasive Species into the Great Lakes
of carp (bighead carp, silver carp, grass carp and black carp) raised in fish farms in the southern United States have been spreading throughout the Mississippi River basin over the past several decades and pose an ongoing risk of invading the Great Lakes. Grass carp has been found reproducing in Lake Erie tributaries and is poised to invade parts of the basin.Finding new strategies to manage these risks is vital to conserving biodiversity and protecting a fishery worth several billions of dollars. Our study has shown the benefit of collaboration between researchers, governments and industry toward
Erie Hack: The Start to the Smart Lake
ecosystem of innovative water technology solutions that created the Erie Hack in early 2017. Erie Hack was a $100,000 innovation challenge that activated more than 200 techies, creative thinkers, entrepreneurs and environmentalists from six cities around in the U.S. and Canada to tackle Lake Erie’s key challenges with creative tech solutions. The competition quickly gained following, engaging more than 100 partner organizations as it put some of the region’s best minds to work. Many of the strongest Erie Hack teams focused on monitoring for nutrient pollution as a means
NOAA Backs Marine Debris Removal/Research
waters of an industrial waste site in the City of Camden, N.J. The removal is key for converting the site into a public park and restoring coastal habitat. Cleveland Metroparks ($108,100) will remove 6,250 tons of concrete slabs and metal from Euclid Beach Park on the shores of Lake Erie. They will also be conducting at least 10 volunteer beach cleanups each year of the project and creating an educational display to help the public understand the effects of plastic pollution in Lake Erie. Conserve Wildlife Foundation of New Jersey, Inc. ($149,260) will survey,
Meteotsunamis: An Underrated Hazard in the Great Lakes
smaller than, tsunamis caused by earthquakes or landslides. Instead of being caused by seismic activity, meteotsunamis are formed by strong storms that move over the water. Notable meteotsunamis happened recently in 2012, when three swimmers were rescued after being swept offshore into Lake Erie near Cleveland, and in 2014, when a Lake Superior meteotsunami overtopped the Soo Locks, interrupting shipping operations and prompting homes to be evacuated in Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario. The researchers, who looked at meteotsuamnis in Lake Michigan previously, wanted a larger perspective
Engineering Representative Appointed for Lake Erie Wind Project
The Lake Erie Energy Development Corporation (LEEDCo) in Cleveland, Ohio has appointed international engineering and operations support services contractor Offshore Design Engineering Limited (ODE), part of the DORIS Group located in the U.K., as the engineering representative for Icebreaker Wind, a 20.7 megawatt offshore wind project in Lake Erie, and the first freshwater offshore wind project in North America. The appointment is the latest development in a three-year relationship between ODE and LEEDCo, the regional non-profit corporation that has proposed this six turbine wind demonstration
Plan Introduced to Drive US Offshore Wind Energy
DOE and DOI’s first joint offshore wind strategy, published in 2011. Since then, the Energy Department has allocated nearly $200 million to support three cutting-edge offshore wind demonstration projects led by the University of Maine, New Jersey’s Fishermen’s Energy, and Ohio’s Lake Erie Energy Development Corporation, and research and development investments in technologies that specifically address the opportunities and challenges across U.S. waters. Additionally, since 2010, the Department of the Interior has issued 11 commercial leases for offshore wind development, nine of
Severe Algal Bloom Predicted for Lake Erie
NOAA and partners predict severe harmful algal bloom for Lake Erie as heavy June rains causes heavy nutrient runoff into lake basin The U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) and its research partners, using an ensemble modeling approach, predict that the 2015 western Lake Erie harmful algal bloom season will be among the most severe in recent years and could become the second most severe behind the record-setting 2011 bloom. The effects of the cyanobacterial blooms include a higher cost for cities and local governments to treat their drinking water, as well as
SeaBotix LBV Performs for Lake Erie Diving
SeaBotix’ client, Pat Murphy, President of Lake Erie Diving, reported a new personal distance record for internal pipe inspection with his SeaBotix LBV300XL. “It was an internal inspection of a 48-in. (122 cm) intake pipe in Lake Michigan,” Murphy said. “The pipe was 6,140 ft. (1,872 m) in length and I did it in one run from shore in just under two hours. I did not go above Gain 5 [half of full power]. I look forward to going the maximum umbilical length I have of 6,760 ft. (2,061 m) someday, now that I know the vehicle will pull it.” www.seabotix.com (As
February 2024
