Return to the Portland

Scituate Harbor in the early morning, as we headed out for
a long day at sea

A major focus of my shipwreck project this year is completing our documentation of the steamship Portland. This ship is sometimes referred to as "New England's Titanic," because it was a passenger vessel that sank with all hands in a tragic storm in 1898. The ship's significance extends across the region, as descendants of the passengers and crew are still actively connected to its story.

Last year, we were able to document a large fraction of the Portland wreck using ROV Pixel, but we wanted to make sure we got to 100% coverage on this historically important ship. The footage we collect is being used to build a 3D photogrammetric model of the wreck, so we can view all the structures in context and better understand how the site is transforming over time.

One of the most important things we've done this year is fly Pixel over the top of the wreck. All of the superstructure and upper decks are long gone, but we can still observe key structures like the walking beam and connecting rods that drove the giant steam engine. We found the paddle wheels on each side of the wreck and observed what was living on them. Potentially our most important observation is that part of the upper deck was caved in - a sign of continued transformation of the site and natural degradation of this wooden wreck over time.

Anemones and hydroids on the walking beam of the Portland.
Lighting is from the chandelier above ROV Pixel. The
translucent creature at the top in the water column is a
ctenophore (comb jelly). Laser points are 18 cm apart.

For me, the walking beam was a fascinating sight. My collaborator, Calvin, explained that it this structure "walked" back and forth to drive the paddle wheels, but as we watched the ROV feed together, my eyes could only see anemones. They were everywhere! Plumose anemones, Metridium senile, are very common on shipwrecks in the North Atlantic, and they love to hang out anywhere the current is strong. They gravitate toward the top of any shipwreck to expose themselves to greater food supply in the benthic boundary layer, and the walking beam is the highest point on the Portland wreck. Other species with similar feeding strategies were also pretty common on the walking beam - hydroids (Ectopleura crocea) and a few sponges.

I have a soft spot in my heart for Metridium senile, since it's on every shipwreck I've ever seen in the North Atlantic. For some reason, this species just thrives on shipwrecks! We had some exceptionally productive days on the Portland and are learning new things about the wreck every time we go to sea.