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Marine Sanctuary in Alpena will use a robotic boat to scan lake Huron for shipwrecks

NOAA Great Lakes Environmental Research Laboratory

A new robotic boat is being deployed at the Thunder Bay National Marine Sanctuary this summer to search for shipwrecks.

The autonomous boat will be equipped with sonar technology that will scan the lake bed for new shipwrecks.

Stephanie Gandulla is with the Thunder Bay National Marine Sanctuary.

“It is 13 feet long and it is bright yellow and it looks like a boat the only difference is that it is unmanned.”

Gandulla said less than 20% of the 4,300 square mile sanctuary has been surveyed.

“Of course we want to find shipwrecks and we very well might, but we also want to understand better what is at the bottom of the lake.”

Gandulla said the information could be important for both biologists and geologists trying to understand lake ecosystems.

She said the two week expedition is already underway.