NMC-led partnership leads to buoy in GT Bay

November 16, 2009

TRAVERSE CITY -- A thermistor buoy providing important temperature data for Grand Traverse Bay has been deployed through a partnership between Northwestern Michigan College, the Grand Traverse Band of Ottawa and Chippewa Indians and the University of Michigan. 

Located directly north of Old Mission Peninsula, it is the first thermistor buoy in the bay and will provide much-needed temperature data for research and monitoring, including fisheries interests. It is part of U-M's Upper Great Lakes Observing System, which now includes three buoys and a shore meteorological station in Grand Traverse Bay and one near Harbor Springs. The university hopes to eventually add thermistors to the other buoys.

The buoy was funded by a $13,000 grant from the Grand Traverse Band to NMC's Water Studies Institute earlier this year. NMC contracted with U-M's Marine Hydrodynamics Laboratories to design and build the buoy. 

Dropped on Nov. 6 by U-M, the buoy records and reports temperature at eight depths below the surface at six-minute intervals. It will remain in position for the next few weeks for evaluation and testing, and be re-deployed next spring.

See data from the Grand Traverse Bay thermister buoy here.

FOR MORE INFORMATION:

Hans VanSumeren, director, Water Studies Institute
hvansumeren@nmc.edu
(231) 995 -1793

 

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