MANITOWOC, Wis.- At least a dozen ships lie beneath the waters of Lake Michigan spanning from Two Rivers down toward Port Washington and Sheboygan.
"Really a phenomenal collection of shipwrecks," said National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Great Lakes regional coordinator, Ellen Brody.
The area could soon be a Marine Sanctuary if NOAA can find a place for a headquarters and possible visitor's center.
"Community engagement is critical to our process," explained Brody.
NOAA is hosting public meetings to determine how much support is behind the effort. The CEO of the Wisconsin Maritime Museum in Manitowoc, Rolf Johnson says there's a lot of backing in his community, plus they have the museum.
"We're getting support from everybody from the Chamber of Commerce, The Visitor's and Convention Bureaus, many of the local businesses including many businesses that are still maritime based," said Johnson.
The four cities fighting for the nomination include; Manitowoc, Two Rivers, Sheboygan and Port Washington.
The city with the most support has a better chance of having the headquarters and visitor's center, which means a big boost in tourism dollars seen in other cities in the Midwest.
"Alpena Michigan brings in 80,000 to 100,000 visitors a year and that's a city I believe just over 10,000 people, so obviously we would like to mirror that," said Manitowoc Mayor Justin Nickels.
Tuesday night's meeting in Manitowoc is expected to draw crowds of at least 200, but this is just a very early step in the process. The hope is that eventually a National Marine Sanctuary is designated off the shores of Northeast Wisconsin.
