Three monitoring buoys, including the first ever on East Grand Traverse Bay, were placed last fall in an NMC-Michigan Technological University collaboration.

Purchased with a $48,800 grant NMC received, the buoys were removed for winter but will return in the spring outfitted with webcams. Data to be available online includes wind speed and direction, wave height and direction, water temperature and video feed of the lake surface, updated every 30 minutes.

“These buoys and data will support a broader understanding of Great Lakes processes and will provide users with near real-time information,” said Hans Van Sumeren, director of NMC’s Great Lakes Water Studies Institute.

NMC offers students the opportunity to gain skills, knowledge and understanding of the world’s dynamic water resources by earning a bachelor’s degree in Marine Technology. Graduates of the bachelor’s program have 100 percent employment in the marine industry. Associate degrees in Engineering Technology-Marine and Freshwater Studies are also available.

➤ nmc.edu/water