2005
Delaware II Remote Sensing Cruise
The
sanctuary conducted a 12-day remote sensing research cruise from
the NOAA ship Delaware II during February and March 2005.
The project's goal was to locate maritime heritage resource sites,
such as shipwrecks. Side scan sonar allows the sanctuary to record
an acoustic image of the sanctuary's seafloor. The image can then
be analyzed to reveal biological habitats, geologic features,
and maritime heritage resources for sanctuary management and outreach.
The side scan sonar survey covered approximately 20-square kilometers
in the sanctuary.
NOAA
ship Delaware II is based in Woods Hole, MA.
A
cold snowy morning starts a day of
remote sensing in the sanctuary.
Sanctuary
archaeologists joined by a number of hearty soles who braved the
cold wind, snow, and high seas to enhance the sanctuary's knowledge
of its maritime past. GIS specialist Just Moller and vessel captain
Steve Kibner participated in the cruise from SBNMS, while Russ
Green joined the project from Thunder
Bay National Marine Sanctuary in Michigan. David Trubey, Deputy
Director of the Massachusetts
Board of Underwater Archaeological Resources, and archaeologist
Claire Calcagno of MIT's Dibner Institute also generously donated
their time to the project.
A
sanctuary archaeologist monitors the sonar and
navigation computers which record the data
which will be analyzed after the project.
Maritime archaeologist David Trubey (left) and
Delaware II crewmen Pete Langlois (right)
inspect the sonar after a day of surveying.
NOAA's
Maritime Heritage Program and Maritime Archaeology Center
as well as the National
Undersea Research Center at the University of Connecticut
provided equipment support for the project. Sanctuary staff are
currently analyzing the sonar data collected during the cruise
and will conduct additional close order investigations of possible
targets with a remotely operated vehicle in the future. The sanctuary
would especially like to thank the crew of the Delaware II
for their hard work that made this cruise successful.
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