Cultural Resource Manager Russ Green Russ Green is the Deputy Superintendent and Research Coordinator at the Thunder Bay National Marine Sanctuary in Alpena, Michigan. The United States has fourtee n National M arine Sanctuaries, all of whi ch are unique and get special pro tection under the law. W hy do these places need protecting? Each sanctuary possesses somethi ng very preciousso me are home to frag ile coral reefs o r end angered animal species. Oth ers have cultural resources that need to be p ro tected and studied , such as the Thunder Bay National M arine Sa nctu ary in Lake Huron, where Russ works. 1his region in the Great Lakes is known fo r its hundreds of well-preserved shipwrecks, which, combined with the a rchaeological remain s of piers and lighthouses and even materi als fro m historic and pre-historic Native Americans, help tell the story of G reat Lakes history. The sa nctuary offices in 1 hunder Bay include a lab where arti fac ts from shipw recks are conserved, a n exhibition hall and educatio nal center where people come to learn about w h at's out in Lake Hu ro n (without getting wet!), and offices where the staff ca n do research and plan act ivities and field wo rk. Russ's job is to help preserve and manage rhe cultural resources in Lake Huron th ro ugh m a ny types of activities, makin g him a so rt of "jack of all trades." His du ties range from applying for research grants, developing partnerships with world-cl ass scienrists and other resea rchers, a nd organizing tea ms of maritime archaeologists who di ve in the lake to locate and documenr shipw recks. Russ spends a lot of rime un<ler water, di ving and documenting shipw recks as part of his regular work.
Russ Green and the NOAA archaeological dive team at the bottom ofLake Huron, investigating the wreck of SS Florida, a freighter that sank in 200 feet ofwater in 1897.
"Growing up in coastal Massachusetts and having an interest in history probably started me on this path. In my early twenties I did some commercial fishing, and, even though I didn't realize it at the time, that was maritime heritage in Russ and the the making. Where it would lead was anyones guess at the time- I was just NOAA team fishing. I didn't really have a plan to make it a career, but I realize now that the experience of working on the water was more fundamental than just fishing- it gave me a powerful connection to the sea. Every experience you have may not have an obvious tie to a career path, but you just have to appreciate the connections they could have and make the most of them. Its akin to reading books. I've read books I didn't like, but I still learned something from them . A friend recently gave me a science fiction book, something I normally wouldn't choose to read. But amidst the lasers and robots, I found a social commentary that struck a chord with me. The best part of my job as a cultural resource manager is the wide variety of things I get to do every day: diving, exploring shipwrecks, talking to the public, helping create exhibits at the visitors' center and contributing to our website. Even the more office-bound tasks, such as writing the management plan that guides our sanctuary$ work or researching the history of some of the shipwrecks, all make my job interesting. They also give me valuable perspective and keep me asking important questions: Why is history important? How can people best benefit from the work we do? and How can we do if better? Asking these quest ions helps keep our sanctuary team focused on making good decisions about how to best protect shipwreck sites and at the same time promote access to these unique and irreplaceable sites. At this point in my career I have many more questions than answers, which probably means that I have a lot more work to do!" -Russell T. Green
To learn more about the National Oceanographic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) Thunder Bay National Marine Sanctuary, visit them online at http://thunderbay.noaa.gov/ or in person at 5 00 W Fletcher St., Alpena, MI 49707.