Current Projects

Grand Traverse Bay Observing System (GTBOS)

Grand Traverse Bay Observing System (GTBOS)

In an effort to better understand and manage the coastal resources and processes that exist in the Grand Traverse Bay area, the University of Michigan's Marine Hydrodynamics Laboratories (UM-MHL) is focusing on creating the links between researchers, managers, and industry to provide the tools needed to study, monitor, predict, and disseminate the state of the bays and waterfront regions of northwest lower Michigan. The Grand Traverse Bay Observing System (GTBOS) is made possible only through the support from the University of Michigan's participation as the Great Lakes partner in the Alliance for Coastal Technologies (ACT). This is a NOAA-funded partnership of research institutions, state and regional managers, and private sector companies interested in developing and applying sensor technologies for monitoring coastal environments.

In July of 2005, through a partnership with Northwestern Michigan College, Water Studies Institute (NMC-WSI) and the Michigan Sea Grant Extension Program, the Marine Hydrodynamics Laboratories deployed its Aanderaa Coastal Monitoring Buoy approximately 2 miles off the Great Lakes campus of NMC in the West Arm of Grand Traverse Bay. For the first time in this area, real time, continuous environmental monitoring of the wind, waves and current inside the bay was provided to the general public over the internet. The launch of this Coastal Monitoring Buoy and its automated data collection was part of the first step in a three part process to gather greater awareness and information on the natural dynamics of Traverse Bay.

With the addition of DTE Energy as a sponsoring partner in the 2006 field season, the Grand Traverse Bay Observing System became home to a second, "state of the art" environmental monitoring buoy. This new Aanderaa Coastal Monitoring Buoy provided a second, key data point for UM-MHL researchers to aid in their understanding of the dynamics of the Grand Traverse Bay. This second buoy replaced the original buoy in the West Arm of Grand Traverse. The original buoy was then placed north of Mission Point to provide vital information about the communication between the two basins. A land based weather station was also added to the system, measuring temperature, relative humidity, barometric pressure, PAR, wind speed and direction from the pier of the Great Lakes Maritime Academy.

Traverse Bay Environmental Monitoring Buoy 2005 (PDF: 153KB)

Gallery

Search