World’s most advanced waterway monitoring facility opens in St. Ignace

Facility monitors the Straits of Mackinac 24/7

Dec. 7, 2022

The St. Ignace Chamber of Commerce and Enbridge recently hosted a ribbon-cutting ceremony to mark the grand opening of the new home for the Enbridge Straits Maritime Operations Center (ESMOC).

The ESMOC, which began operations in summer 2020, represents a new, unprecedented level of marine monitoring capability for a commercial company. Along with Enbridge staff, computers and technology play a pivotal role in protecting the waterways.

“We’ve got seven cameras placed around the Straits of Mackinac that look at the shipping channels,” explains Mike Moeller, Enbridge’s director for the Great Lakes region. “As these very large vessels transit the Straits, we look to see if their anchors are secured, they’re in the pocket, they’re not dragging, and where they could cause damage when they cross over the pipelines. It’s a really unique operation that’s done only one place in the world—right here in the Straits of Mackinac.”

Take a look at this one-of-a-kind facility by viewing the video.

The state-of-the-art Enbridge Straits Maritime Operations Center (ESMOC) represents a new, unprecedented level of maritime monitoring capability for a commercial company. Click on the image above to view a full-screen version of this infographic.