×

Phase 2 of research expedition almost finished

News Photo by Jordan Spence University of Delaware researchers Ken Haulsee, Carter DuVal, Art Trembanis and Peter Barron look through their results, Thursday in Alpena. The group used certain sonar technologies to map the bottom of Lake Huron.

ALPENA — There are many new discoveries yet to be made in the waters of Lake Huron.

Research teams partnered with Thunder Bay National Marine Sanctuary hope to discover some of them.

For the past two weeks University of Delaware Robotic Discovery Laboratories Technicians Ken Haulsee, Carter DuVal and Pete Barron have mapped the bottom of Lake Huron.

This is the second phase of a larger research project with the sanctuary. The first took place about a month ago, and used drones to help map the sanctuary.

“This has been two years in the making of a collaboration,” DuVal said. “Built off a personal relationship between myself and one of the archaeologists here, Phil Hartmeyer. We went to school together (St. Mary’s College of California) as undergraduates. After cultivating interest helping them map in sections of the land in the sanctuary. We have some of the tools and the interest, and they certainly had the need. So we got together to work. So we’ve been here two weeks using our sidescan sonar and bathymetric sonar system to map.”

What the systems do is emit sound and listen to the reflectivity of the sound and the strength of the reflections, DuVal said.

“It gives us an idea of the texture on the seabed. Something that’s harder will return a target, versus something that’s softer and absorbent of the sound,” DuVal said. “It’s combined with a bathymetric sonar which gives us the topography of the bottom so we can build 3D maps.”

Haulsee said with one of the shipwrecks they studied (The Grecian) they were able to get a sense of how the shipwreck works with the environment.

Despite the challenges of the weather, the team said they were happy to have the opportunity to work in Lake Huron.

“I think the depth was challenging for our system,” Haulsee said. “We utilized our time as best as possible. We still had large coverage, better than expected.”

The main objective of the mission is to expand the sanctuary’s catalogue of resources, DuVal said. But, there were some new possible sinkhole discoveries that can give insight to the biological landscape of the lake, he added.

Sanctuary research coordinator John Bright said in the areas of the lake’s sinkholes there are unusual bacterial masses.

“When we locate features like this throughout the lake, especially in deeper water, we try to go in with ROVs and other equipment it’s not nearly as important of a look,” Bright said.

The more they can scan the lake bottom, they find sinkholes faster. Then they are able to document their findings.

“The first agenda item is to look for shipwrecks. Try and locate archeological sites that have been previously undiscovered. But a very important second item on that is simply mapping the bottom of the lake within the sanctuary,” Bright said.

Maritime Archeologist Stephanie Gandulla said this phase of the project is a great example of how the sanctuary is resourceful with partnerships.

“It’s about getting world class institutions involved with the sanctuary and expose them to the resources we found here. We couldn’t do projects like this by ourself,” she said.

Duval said he hopes their work receives interest by the public.

“One of the reasons we’re out here and we put out images is so we can capture hearts and minds. Show people what’s out there,” Duval said. “So we can conjure people who want to protect these waters.”

Jordan Spence can be reached via email at jspence@thealpenanews.com or by phone at 358-5687.

Newsletter

Today's breaking news and more in your inbox

I'm interested in (please check all that apply)
Are you a paying subscriber to the newspaper? *
   

Starting at $4.62/week.

Subscribe Today