Three marine buoys deployed near Marquette, Munising, Grand Marais

Three climate monitoring and marine safety buoys have been deployed for the season from the south shore of Lake Superior.

Superior Watershed Partnership (SWP) staff deployed the buoys with support from boats provided by the Michigan Department of Natural Resources (DNR) and Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore (NPS). The location of these buoys is near the shores of Marquette, Munising and Grand Marias.

Marquette Buoy is half a mile northeast of Black Rocks, off the coast of Presque Isle; Munising Buoy is five miles north of Miners' Castle on Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore; the Grand Marais buoy is a mile and a half north of the port. In 2021, SWP received $47,786.80 in grants through the Great Lakes Observing System (GLOS) to purchase these innovative new buoys – and SWP continues to deploy, maintain and maintain them. recover each year.

Each of the three monitoring buoys collects important navigation and climate planning data, including wave height, wind speed, water temperature and more. The live data provided by these buoys is essential for commercial and recreational boaters as well as the National Weather Service, Environment Canada and NOAA. Additionally, the SWP uses buoy data for long-term climate adaptation planning with coastal communities in the Upper Peninsula.

The data is transmitted and accessible via the GLOS Seagull website: or via the SWP website: