Stephanie Gandulla leaves Alpena sanctuary for new Lake Ontario post

After 16 years helping lead education, research and community outreach at the Thunder Bay National Marine Sanctuary, Stephanie Gandulla is leaving Alpena for a new role on the shores of Lake Ontario.

Gandulla officially assumed the superintendent position at the new Lake Ontario National Marine Sanctuary on Wednesday. The sanctuary is based in Oswego, New York, although Gandulla remains in a transition role at TBNMS while she prepares for the move.

Her departure marks a leadership transition for an Alpena institution that helped establish the model for freshwater marine sanctuaries in the Great Lakes. TBNMS was the first freshwater sanctuary in the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration system, established in 2000. Lake Ontario is now the third freshwater sanctuary in the system.

From Alpena to a new sanctuary

The Lake Ontario sanctuary covers 1,722 square miles, including portions of Oswego, Jefferson, Cayuga and Wayne counties in New York. Before Gandulla was selected, TBNMS Superintendent Jeff Gray served as its acting superintendent.

Gandulla joined TBNMS in 2010. Although she was not originally from Northeast Michigan, she said the region became home over the past 16 years. Her work included community outreach, education programs, research and monitoring, research protection, volunteer coordination and partnerships with local organizations and cultural institutions.

“I have been very fortunate to have been here since 2010 and also very fortunate that because of our small team, small but mighty team, the way we really enjoy getting work done here is everybody chipping in, in really all aspects,” Gandulla said.

“I’ve really enjoyed being able to do some of everything here,” she added.

Among the work she valued most was connecting with Alpena-area students. Gandulla described watching children she met in grade school later participate in Alpena High School’s Shipwreck Alley class, Michigan Sea Grant internships and NOAA internships. Some have gone on to marine science and marine technology work in the oceans and Great Lakes.

“How neat it has been for me personally to see alpena kids, that I’ve worked with when they were in grade school and then to see them go into the Alpena High School’s Shipwreck Alley class … see what they’re doing, whether it’s Michigan Sea Grant internships, or NOAA internships, and then see how they’re doing today and working in our world’s ocean and other places in the Great Lakes doing marine science or marine technology,” she said.

Alpena programs may shape Lake Ontario work

Gandulla also pointed to partnerships developed in Alpena, including work with veteran programs, Viking cruise ships, cultural institutions and other local organizations. She said the sanctuary’s collaborative environment and volunteer network were central to her experience.

“Working with all sorts of different partners, everything from our veteran programs to the Viking cruise ships and all those and local partners … all the other cultural institutions,” Gandulla said. “That’s such a neat part of Thunder Bay National Marine Sanctuary is how engaged … I have a reason to go out and connect with people.”

Gray said Gandulla’s broad experience makes her a strong fit for the new sanctuary. He said she has worked across nearly every part of TBNMS, from education and outreach to research, monitoring and protection. That experience, he said, can help Lake Ontario develop its programs and community relationships more quickly.

“Step more than anybody has really touched every facet of what we do from the education and outreach to the research and monitoring, to our research protection,” Gray said. “As a small staff, there is only going to be a few people there, that experience I think is going to help her grow that sanctuary faster than it would if it were anybody else.”

Community members from the TBNMS advisory council have already visited Oswego to begin building connections. Gray said the two sanctuaries are expected to share ideas, expertise and resources, including boats, as the Lake Ontario site develops.

“I think you’ll see with the sites in the Great Lakes, we’re not just gonna share people and resources like boats, but your ideas as well,” Gray said. “A lot of the programs that have been going on here, we’ll hopefully see if they work there. I 100% expect in a couple of years, we’ll be stealing ideas from Stephanie.”

Gandulla plans to return to Alpena

Gandulla said the Oswego community is eager to begin developing its sanctuary and establish programming similar to what TBNMS built in Northeast Michigan. She said she is sad to leave Alpena but expects to return to visit.

“I’ll be coming back here and visiting,” she said. “Alpina has definitely a very special place in my heart. You haven’t seen the last of me yet.”

The Wisconsin Shipwreck Coast National Marine Sanctuary, established in October 2021, is the other freshwater sanctuary in NOAA’s system. It covers 962 square miles from Port Washington north to Two Rivers in Wisconsin.