For more than 12,000 years, people have traveled on the Great Lakes, from Native American dugout canoes to wooden sailing craft and steel freighters, and over the last 150 years Great Lakes shipping has grown enormously while remaining critical to the national economy. Fire, ice, collisions, and storms have claimed hundreds of vessels, including pioneer steamboats, wooden schooners, and steel freighters. Today, the 4,300-square-mile Thunder Bay National Marine Sanctuary protects 200 shipwrecks in the clear, fresh waters of Lake Huron, preserving the Great Lakes and their rich history through research, education, and community involvement so future generations can enjoy these underwater treasures.