Wisconsin Shipwreck Coast Becomes Newest National Marine Sanctuary

The ranks of national marine sanctuaries grew by one this week, as NOAA and the State of Wisconsin announced the designation of America’s 15th marine sanctuary.

Wisconsin Shipwreck Coast National Marine Sanctuary will encompass 962-square miles of Lake Michigan that contain a multitude of cultural and historical treasures. Among the 36 known historic shipwrecks, the sanctuary includes Wisconsin’s two oldest shipwrecks and several others preserved almost completely intact due to the lake’s icy cold freshwater.

Kris Sarri, president and CEO of the National Marine Sanctuary Foundation, said, “The new sanctuary will foster new opportunities for exploration, education, research, and tourism that benefit Wisconsin’s coastal communities and bring increased attention to the Great Lakes role in the growth of our Nation.”

READ MORE at marinesanctuary.org