FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Feb. 12, 2013

NOAA's Thunder Bay National Marine Sanctuary
Seeks Advisory Council Applicants

NOAA's Thunder Bay National Marine Sanctuary is seeking applicants for five primary seats and five alternate seats on its advisory council. The council ensures public participation in sanctuary management and provides advice to the sanctuary superintendent.

"The sanctuary advisory council is an invaluable source of advice and critical to the success of the sanctuary," said Jeff Gray, sanctuary superintendent. "Council members provide input on all aspects of the sanctuary's management and we look forward to working with our new members."

The sanctuary is accepting primary and alternate applications for the following seats: recreation, business/economic development, higher education and citizen-at-large, as well as tourism (primary only) and diving (alternate only).

Candidates are selected based on their expertise and experience in relation to the seat for which they are applying, community and professional affiliations, and views regarding the protection and management of marine resources. Applicants who are chosen as members should expect to serve three-year terms.

Applications are due March 4. To receive an application kit, or for further information please contact council coordinator Jean Bauer by e-mail at jean.bauer@noaa.gov; by phone at (989) 356-8805 ext.13; or by mail at 500 W. Fletcher Street, Alpena, MI 49707. Application kits can also be downloaded from the sanctuary's web site at www.thunderbay.noaa.gov.

Thunder Bay National Marine Sanctuary, designated in October 2000, boasts an impressive array of underwater cultural resources including shipwrecks. The area contains a nationally significant collection of an estimated 160 shipwrecks that span over two centuries of Great Lakes shipping history. Thunder Bay National Marine Sanctuary is 448 square miles in area and is located in northern Lake Huron, near Alpena, Mich.

NOAA's mission is to understand and predict changes in the Earth's environment, from the depths of the ocean to the surface of the sun, and to conserve and manage our coastal and marine resources. Join us on
Facebook, Twitter and our other social media channels.