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The Great Lakes are often referred to as the "fourth seacoast." U.S. and Canadian lake fleets annually haul upwards of 125 million tons of cargo, including iron ore, limestone and coal.

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Hurricane Sandy repairs continuing

By Elizabeth Miller • Dec 8, 2016

Andrew Kornacki/US Army Corps. of Engineers Buffalo District

After 2012’s Hurricane Sandy, the breakwater on Cleveland’s east harbor suffered $31 million dollars worth of damage. Now that breakwater is back to full strength, with concrete blocks to prevent storm damage from happening again.

Cleveland’s project involves 4400 feet of dolosse, concrete blocks shaped like a T and meant to deflect waves.

Lt. Col. Adam Czekanski with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Buffalo District says the damage from Hurricane Sandy resulted in the District’s largest repair project.

Only one survivor -- the sinking of the Morrell

By Dave Rosenthal • Nov 29, 2016

Fifty years ago today, the freighter Daniel J. Morrell split in two and sank amid a storm on Lake Huron.

Only one of the 29 crew members survived. And as the Buffalo News recounts, Dennis Hale was haunted by guilt for years. He died in 2015.

Who'll watch over Great Lakes as Trump era begins?

By Dave Rosenthal • Nov 22, 2016

President-elect Donald Trump's transition team is busy filling some 4,000 jobs in his new administration. For folks who are interested in the Great Lakes, three of those appointees are particularly important.

The U.S. has three seats on the six-member International Joint Commission, which works with the U.S. and Canada in regulating the lakes and other boundary waters.

Maritime school teaches Great Lakes skills

By Elizabeth Miller • Nov 16, 2016

At the Maritime Academy of Toledo, students learn basics like math and English. They also take classes on boatbuilding.

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Listening...

4:15

Sounds from the Toledo maritime academy.

On a fall day in the boat lab, a few students are working on the inside of a small wooden boat. They’re gluing pieces of wood together along the inside of the boat before sanding it down.

Recalling the wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald

By Dave Rosenthal • Nov 9, 2016

Nov. 10 marks the anniversary of the sinking of the Edmund Fitzgerald -- and thanks to the song by Gordon Lightfoot, it's arguably the most well-known wreck on the Great Lakes.

In 1975 the freighter, loaded with a low grade iron ore called taconite, was headed toward the Detroit area when it hit a vicious storm on Lake Superior. All 29 crew members died.