Silver Science

Bethany told me to pick her up at the bus station. We had not seen each other in at least 6 years - in fact, "how long has it been" was a major topic of conversation on our car ride together. A lot has changed for Bethany since she was last at WHOI. For starters, she got a PhD, and I could tell. When I last saw Bethany, she was an inexperienced student just figuring out how to do science. Now, she is a seasoned professional with her own unique views on topics ranging from deep-sea biodiversity to data management to why exploration matters. It took us the full hour-long ride to Brewster and hour-long ride back to catch up. 

Our destination in Brewster was the Cape Cod Museum of Natural History. I think of CCMNH as "the little museum that could." The facility is modest in size, but the content is high-quality. Displays range from the indigenous history of Cape Cod to native species in our waters, exploring human-environment relationships along the way. I actually consider CCMNH to be a good model for other small museum venues. They have an excellent auditorium and regularly host interesting interdisciplinary speakers. CCMNH punches way above its weight-class. 

Presenting my "Silver Science" talk. Photo by David Marsland

When Bethany and I showed up in Brewster, I was the featured speaker for CCMNH's "Silver Science" series. Talks are meant to be accessible to the general public, and audience members over 65 have discounted admission. Even so, my audience of ~40 people included several working-age couples and even a reporter who had interviewed me a few years ago. I was proud to share my science with the CCMNH crowd.

After wrapping up my presentation, I got Bethany's attention and signaled "Are you ready?" Just then, an older gentleman walked up to me. He had a book in his hands, which he held out so I could read the cover. His face seemed eerily familiar. 

The book was about practical applications for side-scan sonar, and it was written by John Fisch and Arnold Carr. "Are you one of these two authors?" I asked the book bearer. He nodded, then pointed to one of the names on the cover - Arnold Carr. 

That's why he looked familiar! Calvin, the archaeologist I work with, had interviewed Fisch and Carr during our Stellwagen project back in 2020. Standing in front of me was a living legend - Arne Carr and John Fisch found dozens of shipwrecks in Massachusetts waters, just by going out on their private vessel on weekends. These two hobbyists contributed more to the Massachusetts maritime archaeology than most professionals. 

Arne signed the book for me, and I thanked him for his work. It was lovely to meet him. 

Thanks to the Cape Cod Museum of Natural History for facilitating my talk!