Open AccessThe Investigation and Excavation of a Deepwater Shipwreck in the Gulf of Mexico
Author(s) -
Toby N. Jones
Publication year - 2002
Publication title -
marine technology society journal/marine technology society journal
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.23
H-Index - 43
eISSN - 1948-1209
pISSN - 0025-3324
DOI - 10.4031/002533202787913404
Subject(s) - excavation , navy , canyon , submarine , geology , archaeology , oceanography , dredging , remotely operated underwater vehicle , submarine canyon , mining engineering , continental shelf , paleontology , geography , geomorphology , artificial intelligence , computer science , robot , mobile robot
The Mica Wreck (so named because it lies in the Mississippi Canyon area of the Gulf of Mexico) lies in 810 MSW, approximately 50 kilometers south of the Louisiana coast. The shipwreck will be surveyed and partially excavated in July 2002 with the aid of the U.S. Navy's NR-1 nuclear powered research submarine and several remotely operated vehicles (ROVs). The primary goal of the excavation is to recover artifacts that will help determine the identity and origin of the wreck. The excavation is significant because it represents the first scientific study of a deepwater shipwreck in the Gulf of Mexico. This paper will discuss the historical background and the innovative methods to be used during the excavation.