Alger Underwater Preserve protects shipwrecks in Lake Superior off Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore and Grand Island National Recreation Area in Michigan. Although this shoreline is celebrated for its beauty, it provides little refuge during Superior storms, and that danger caused wrecks of both small boats and lake freighters over time. The preserve also sits along the route of vessels entering and leaving Munising, a port tied since the late 1800s to shipments of timber, cut lumber, and paper products. Together, the wrecks and shipping route give the area both maritime and industrial historical importance.