Alpena Fisheries Research Station

Designed and built by Andersen Boat Works of Saugatuck, Michigan, the Research Vessel Tanner was completed in 2016 and is stationed in Alpena. It serves as the DNR's research platform for all of Lake Huron and the St. Marys River.

The R/V Tanner replaced the R/V Chinook, which operated on the Great Lakes from 1947 to 2016. The 50-foot, steel-hulled R/V Chinook, previously known as Patrol Boat #3, was first commissioned as a Department of Conservation Great Lakes Law Enforcement vessel. The vessel gained its name in 1968 when it was transferred to the Fisheries Division's Alpena Great Lakes Station. The R/V Chinook is on static display at the Besser Museum for Northeast Michigan in Alpena highlighting its work in commercial law enforcement and fisheries research.

The R/V Tanner is named after former Fisheries Division Chief and DNR Director Dr. Howard A. Tanner and was designed by Seacraft Design of Sturgeon Bay, Wisconsin. The 57-foot, aluminum-hulled vessel was closely modeled after the R/V Lake Char, the DNR's Lake Superior fisheries research vessel that launched in 2007.

Unlike the R/V Chinook, which was powered by a single engine, the R/V Tanner is powered by twin engines and has a greater cruising range and speed. Similar to the R/V Chinook, the R/V Tanner is rigged for sampling with nets and trawls. The R/V Tanner is also equipped with the latest in hydroacoustic survey technology to expand its fisheries assessment capabilities, including hydroacoustic gear, a remotely operative vehicle (ROV) and side scan sonar.