ISEA Underwater Camera - DockCam - Back in Operation

Visit the Inland Seas Education Center in Suttons Bay and see the ISEA DockCam in action.  Our next step is to get this on our web site. 

Thanks to Lee Hepner and Phil Loud for getting this system running again. 

Happy New Year - Almost

Well this is it, the last day of 2010. I hope it was a good year for you. It was for ISEA. Here are two ways to end the year on an up note:
1. Click here to make a year-end donation to Inland Seas!
2. Check out the beautiful underwater photos of Grand Traverse Bay taken by freediver Chris Morley.

Happy New Year, and be careful driving tonight. Tom Kelly

Creatures of the Great Lakes on TV - 2 this week.

Denise Baker, Tom Kelly and Rich Brauer enjoying memories of underwater film making in the 1980's.

Watershed Moments premieres on Up North 2 with a retrospective look at the 1984 film Creatures in the Great Lakes

Creatures in the Great Lakes features a cast of "underwater stars" from yesteryear and offers insight into why the clear water we see today is less desirable than the turbid water of the past. The 1984 film was originally intended to serve as an educational tool for classroom use, yet has become a baseline for the state of affairs in the Great Lakes.

Watershed Moments is a public access television program by the Watershed Center Grand Traverse Bay that explores all facets of Grand Traverse Bay, the heart of our region. Its debut revisits Creatures in the Great Lakes with the film’s creators, Rich Brauer of Brauer Productions and Captain Tom Kelly of the Inland Seas Education Association.


Host Denise Baker delightfully navigates a scientific and technological inquiry of underwater cinematography and environmental education. Longtime friends, Rich and Tom reflect upon their early exploration of the aquatic world and the changes it has endured during the past twenty-five years.


Watershed Moments premieres on Up North 2 this Sunday November 15th at 8pm, Monday November 16th at 10pm, and Saturday, November 21st at 9am.

Moving Ice Damages Schooner Dock, Finger Piers

Looking north at Inland Seas' finger piers.
Looking NE at ISEA's destroyed finger pier ramp.


View under the Schooner Dock, with broken piling.

Ice Damage to Schooner Dock.

Strong winds from the south pushed ice against the Schooner Dock in Suttons Bay, snapping one piling and knocking out power to the underwater camera. Luckly the underwater camera is on another piling and was not damaged. Don Balcom, whose tug and barge have been moored near the dock all winter, will attempt repairs on Thursday. The dock is owned by the Village of Suttons Bay and used by ISEA's education schooner Inland Seas. Many of the S. B. Marina's finger piers on the Coal Dock were also damaged or moved out of position by the ice. ISEA's two finger piers also sustained damage.

-Tom K.

Underwater Videos From Chris Doyal

Here are views into Grand Traverse Bay, courtesy of Chris Doyal. Check out the round gobies in the Tramp video and the growth of algae and mussels on the wrecks. http://www.chrisdoyal.com/section195090.html

Recently Chris made a presentation at the Inland Seas Education Center and has helped us by cleaning our underwater camera lens. Thanks for all your good work, Chris.

Capt. Tom

Divers Service Propeller, Underwater Camera

Our dive team of Greg Lashbrook and Kathy Johnson did some tweeking of our underwater camera (they installed it in December), lubricated the propeller, and installed a new zinc anode. The water temperature was 41.7 degrees F, so I did not volunteer to assist.

Greg and Kathy will be at the Inland Seas Education Center this evening to present some of their Great Lakes underwater videos. Copies of their productions will be available for purchase. The program begins at 7:00 pm and is free and open to the public.

Top photo: Greg with grease gun

Right photo: Kathy with rusty crayfish

Work on the schooner continues with the crew hanging blocks and reeving running rigging. It is sunny and warm, but blowing hard from the SW.

Our Education Director, Christine Diana, is leading a pre-season meeting of ISEA Lead Instructors this afternoon. These volunteers lead the Schoolship Program instructors aboard Inland Seas and Manitou.