Touring the UMD Research Boat

DULUTH, MINN. — Friday was a great day to be on a big boat–whether you were on the water or tied to the dock.

Anyone who wanted to,  could step aboard the Blue Heron. It is UMD’s research vessel which is part of their Large Lakes Observatory program. It was a chance for the general public to learn about the kind of research being done. It is a magnet for scientists and projects aimed at understanding the incredibly valuable resource. One study this year is about microplastics showing up in the water and sediment. There is also a study to understand other changes.

Doug Ricketts, the Marine Superintendent of Blue Heron said about the boat’s uses “They’re trying to figure out harmful alga blooms. Why they exist and what they’re doing to the great lakes. Not only kind of like the southern lakes, like Lake Erie, which are warmer but also we’re starting to have the occurrence of harmful alga blooms on Lake Superior. So try to get ahead of that.

By allowing the public a hands-on look at the vessel, the hope is that people will continue to understand and support its efforts. And for those who are not totally into science, Associate Professor Sam Kelly, UMD Associate Professor of the Large Lakes Observatory says there is something else you should know. “A fun fact about the Blue Heron is that it is it used to be a cod-fishing boat. So it’s the same model as the boat in ‘The Perfect Storm.’ So it was a fishing boat that we retrofitted for science and it’s actually served its purpose as a scientific vessel really well.”

Kelly helped launch a space satellite program that is observing almost all the water on the earth’s surface. The Blue Heron is a big reason he was drawn to UMD. He hopes tours like this will encourage the next generation of scientists.