The Portland
It was a grey, foggy morning in Gloucester, Massachusetts. We pulled away from the dock at 5 am. Steaming offshore aboard the Dawn Treader, I had a sense of eager anticipation. The boat started rocking as we exited the harbor, and the engines' hum turned to a roar. Enveloped by the sky and the sea, water in its various states and shades of dull gray, we steamed forth until there was no land in sight.
After two hours, the vessel slowed, and the Treader sloshed back and forth in her own wake. Two men scrambled to the front of the boat and waited for the captain's command to drop anchor. I watched eagerly over his shoulder as we approached our study site. The echosounder showed only a clear water column - nothing between us and the mud 450 ft below. We drifted. Moments passed quietly as the boat rocked in the fog. Just then, pixel by pixel, a bump appeared on the screen. The seafloor seemed to rise up beneath us and then fall back down. It wasn't big, but it was something.
"Drop!" called the captain, and the anchor's chain rattled over the edge of the bow.
We had reached the wreck of the Portland.
Friends, this summer, I am working on my first federally-funded project as a WHOI scientist. I'm collaborating with an archaeologist, an underwater videographer, and several staff members from NOAA's Office of National Marine Sanctuaries to examine shipwrecks in Stellwagen Bank National Marine Sanctuary, offshore of Massachusetts. Most of our field sampling is taking place this summer, and then in September, we'll continue our work during live telepresence broadcasts. Yes, that means anyone with an internet connection can follow along as we explore the shipwrecks, and yes, I will post links and a broadcast schedule as the time draws nearer!
Our team is using a state-of-the-art, cinema-class remotely operated vehicle (ROV) named Pixel to record high-resolution videos of the shipwrecks. We'll use the videos to analyze the state of each shipwreck, how the wreck site has changed over the last 10 years (my archaeologist collaborator uses the term "site formation processes"), and what's living on the wrecks compared to nearby boulder reefs (that's my job!). We're also planning to build 3D models of some shipwrecks that can be used as educational and outreach tools. It's very exciting work!
Our first wreck is called the Portland. It's a steamship that ferried passengers from Portland, Maine, into Boston, and the ship sank with all hands during a famous blizzard called the "Portland Gale" in 1898. Our investigation marks the first time the Portland wreck has been visited in 10 years and the first complete documentation of the wreck site.
Right now, we're still figuring out some logistics, but I will have much more to share about the project over the next few weeks. Stay tuned for updates from the Portland!
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| All quiet in Gloucester Harbor |
"Drop!" called the captain, and the anchor's chain rattled over the edge of the bow.
We had reached the wreck of the Portland.
Friends, this summer, I am working on my first federally-funded project as a WHOI scientist. I'm collaborating with an archaeologist, an underwater videographer, and several staff members from NOAA's Office of National Marine Sanctuaries to examine shipwrecks in Stellwagen Bank National Marine Sanctuary, offshore of Massachusetts. Most of our field sampling is taking place this summer, and then in September, we'll continue our work during live telepresence broadcasts. Yes, that means anyone with an internet connection can follow along as we explore the shipwrecks, and yes, I will post links and a broadcast schedule as the time draws nearer!
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| Dawn Treader in Gloucester Harbor. The red thing on the back deck is Pixel (I'll get better photos soon), and the green spool is Pixel's tether. |
Our first wreck is called the Portland. It's a steamship that ferried passengers from Portland, Maine, into Boston, and the ship sank with all hands during a famous blizzard called the "Portland Gale" in 1898. Our investigation marks the first time the Portland wreck has been visited in 10 years and the first complete documentation of the wreck site.
Right now, we're still figuring out some logistics, but I will have much more to share about the project over the next few weeks. Stay tuned for updates from the Portland!
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