While mapping Oak Island Shoal in the Apostle Islands, Lara Bender’s sonar revealed a submerged riverine feature running alongside the shoal's north side. The bright pink part of the historic river is more than 50 feet wide and 3 feet deep. No one knew this feature was there!
NPS photo
Lara Bender has worked for the National Park Service (NPS) as a hydrographic technician. As an environmental and ocean engineer, Lara spent her days on ships, studying lakes and oceans. Since coming to the National Park Service from the National Science Foundation, Lara has been working on Lake Superior for the NPS Midwest Region, using sonar on a custom-built boat called the "Echo" to map the bottom of Lake Superior. Her work has revealed fascinating "lake-forms" (the submerged version of landforms) and uncharted shipwrecks. It's also being used to study changes in underwater and shoreline habitats caused by altered sand movement. Not everyday is spent on the water, though. During the winter, Lara works to translate the data into maps and 3D computer graphics that will be used to help parks manage the fish and cultural resources within their boundaries. Lara is currently an Environmental Protection Specialist stationed at Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore.
