Concrete Canoe Race Comes To Suttons Bay

Due to thick ice in the planned race site at Houghton, the American Society of Civil Engineers Student Concrete Canoe race was held in Suttons Bay on April 7 & 9.  Thanks to Gary Hoensheid for organizing the change in venue, to ISEA's Allen Wolf for driving the safety boat (our schooner's rescue boat) and setting the buoys, SBHS Principal Rittenhouse for providing signs and parking space, and the Village of Suttons Bay for the use of South Shore Park and other help. 

Michigan Tech won the race event and the overall competition.  Nice work MTU!  Click here for complete competition results.

MTU's Mattie Martin and her crew keep the event rolling.  Flexibility is key!

Opps!  U of M's bow broke off upon launch. 

Lawrence Tech's team prepares to launch their boat.  Team work!

The U of M team bringing their wounded boat into ISEA's Boat Shop for emergency repairs.

ISEA's Boat Shop provided a warm and dry place for the U of M team to make repairs.  They were back on the water the next day for the races.



ISEA Captain Allen Wolf and MTU's John setting buoys before the races.  Water temp: 37 degrees.




Many teams had tents.  MTU had a gas fire going!  Smart. 



First race of the day.

MTU's winning boat with female paddlers in the first race.

Everyone had a great time despite the cold.  We hope to see the concrete canoe racers again in Suttons Bay.  I have extended an invitation to for the teams join us on July 20th for the Classic Boat Show.  I promised warmer waters.

--Tom K. 



First Bloody Red Shrimp Record for Suttons Bay

The first sighting of a bloody red shrimp, Hemimysis anomala, was made today in a sample from an experimental plankton pump, set up to run overnight at the ISEA Schooner Dock in Suttons Bay.  This animal is an invasive species from the Black - Azov - Caspian Sea area of Eurasia.  It likely got to the Great Lakes in the ballast water of ships.  For more on Hemimysis ecology, look at the USGS Nonindigenous Aquatic Species web site.

The plankton pump was in its first overnight test, starting on Friday afternoon, April 5, 2013.  The pump was at 0.84 meters depth on a rocky substrate. Unfortunately the battery did not have enough capacity to run the pump for 24 hours, so the next test will incorporate an inverter or battery charger to keep the battery voltage the same throughout the pumping period.  Despite the failure of this first test to give a quantitative result, we did find what we were looking for, the bloody red shrimp.  This zooplankton has been previously found in Muskegon Lake and Elk Rapids. 

After the plankton pump sampler is perfected we intend to sample a number of harbors in NW Michigan, and we will add this to the sampling gear of the Schoolship Inland Seas to sample ports visited this summer.

Hemimysis collected from Suttons Bay, April 5 - 6, 2013

Hemimysis tail section showing telson

Hemimysis showing characteristic twin spikes on the squared-off telson

More results will be posted on this blog as they become available.

-Thomas M. Kelly - ISEA Executive Director
-Graham P. Kelly - ISEA Student Intern

SB Student Intern Graham Kelly Launches Zooplankton Pump Sampler

ISEA's high school intern Graham Kelly initiated the first test of his zooplankton pump sampler at the ISEA schooner dock today.  The sampler consists of a submersible Rule bilge pump, hose, 153 micron plankton net, and car battery.  This first test will run overnight to determine the effectiveness of this method on night-active zooplankton (knowing that the numbers and species diversity is limited at this time of year).   Graham and his dad will return to the dock tomorrow to collect the sample. 

An earlier test showed that copepods can pass through the device intact. 

Graham with zooplankton pump sampler

Checking flow into net

Car battery, graduated cylinder (used to measure flow rate), volt meter

Pump, hose and net.  Battery is now covered by plastic box. 

We'll publish results as available. 

--Co-Investigator & Dad,   Tom K. 

Recent Activities at the Inland Seas Education Center

A Full House for the Asian Carp Seminar by Mark Breederland on Nov. 9

Suttons Bay High School Students, under the direction of Mr. T, planning their video shoot for TV Teleganza

UpNorth TV Teleganza is tomorrow, Nov. 20 at the State Theatre.  It's a big deal, and a good deal!

Happy Birthday, Inland Seas!

Launch Day, May 18 1994, Treworgy Yachts, Palm Coast, FL

Tuesday May 18 is our schooner's 16th birthday. Help us celebrate at 12:30 pm dockside with a performance by the Suttons Bay High School Band. See you there. --Capt. Tom

Pram Building Class, 3rd Session

Students set up the bow and stern transoms, and fitted the bottom stringers this week. These parts will be glued in place next week.

Two prams are being built at the same time by two teams of students.

October 1 Schoolship and Boat Shop News

This morning began with ice on the deck and dock. Fortunately the sun came up and melted it all before our students (Kalkaska MS) arrived. We picked up lots of Chara in the trawl but unfortunately no fish. We had a good variety of fish yesterday (rock bass, small mouth bass, white sucker, round goby), but nothing today. However the weather was wonderful with light winds and sun...much better than last Monday and Tuesday's gales.

The next canoe has gotten underway in the ISEA Boat Shop with students from Suttons Bay Middle and High School doing the construction. Stop in and see their progress!

-Capt. Tom K.

Suttons Bay High School 11th Grade Students Clean up Marina

Friday afternoon 80 Suttons Bay 11th graders volunteered to clean up the Suttons Bay marina, area parks, and the Inland Seas Education Center waterfront. The winter's accumulation of debris was bagged and fallen tree branches stacked up for removal by Village crews. Thanks to these hard working students!