Bats are essential for ecosystem functioning, particularly in tropical forests, and are useful bioindicators.

Administered by National Geographic Mission Programs, the NGS/Waitt Grants Program makes grants between $5,000 and $15,000 for exploratory research - below is a list of the most recent awards granted. To date, the program has funded over 150 field projects. For more information on the program, please visit the NGS/Waitt Grants section of our website.

Project: Scalloped Hammerhead Migration in the Galapagos Islands: Regional Connectivity.

Grantee: Peter Klimley

Region: Galapagos

The decline of shark populations due to overfishing has led to international attempts to conserve stocks. Oceanic marine Pprotected Areas provide protection to large schools of adult sharks, such as the scalloped hammerhead. One of our key findings is that large schools of females are absent from these islands between March and June. Hammerheads may migrate from the oceanic islands to these coastal regions to give birth. If so, there are profound implications in how we address the conservation needs of this iconic species. We will place satellite tags on the fins of 10-13 female hammerheads, before their migration away from the islands. By tagging the sharks immediately before their migration period, we expect to track their migration away from and returning to the islands. Project Website

Project: Mother to Egg Call Matching Predicts Parasitism in the Malurid Family: Evidence from Population and Geographical Analysis.

Grantee: Diane Colombelli-Negrel

Region: Australia

Why should mothers communicate to their embryos? Birds are a good model system to study this question, because embryos are housed in eggs, and their behaviour and responses can be examined using noninvasive methods. Here, this project proposes to expand on the recent discovery that — after a period of communication between mother and embryos — offspring hatch and emit a vocal cue that is used as a parent-offspring specific password to facilitate recognition of offspring by their mothers and detect parasitic nestlings.

Project: Mountain Epigeaic Insect Diversity after the Eruption of the Volcanic Complex Puyehue-Cordon Caulle in Northwestern Patagonia.

Grantee: Adriana Ruggiero

Region: Argentina

In recent years, there has been increasing interest in the study of mountain biodiversity and the importance of setting actions to addressing characteristics and problems that are specific to mountain ecosystem for the promotion of their biodiversity conservation and maintenance.

Our project will contribute to these issues. Specifically, we will analyse changes in the structure of epigaeic insect (beetles and ants) species assemblages along altitudinal gradients. The region is affected by the volcanic eruption of the complex Puyehue-Cordon Caulle on past June 4th, which resulted in the accumulation of 0.5-30 cm of volcanic ash on the soil.

Project: Estimating Population Size of Yellow-cheeked Crested Gibbon in Nam Ca Natural Reserve, Vietnam: A Markrecapture Approach.

Grantee: Thinh Vu

Region: Vietnam

Yellow-cheeked crested gibbon (Nomascus gabriellae) occurs in southern Laos and southern Vietnam and in north-eastern Cambodia. Populations of yellow-cheeked crested gibbon are threatened due to habitat loss, hunting, and wildlife trade. The total population size of yellow-cheeked crested gibbon in Vietnam is not known. Nam Ca natural reserve might be one of few potential sites for conserving Yellowcheeked crested gibbon in Vietnam. This project will focus on estimating the population size of yellowcheekedcrested gibbon in Nam Ca natural reserve. Additionally, it will provide information on the distribution of the gibbon within the reserve and determine the specific threats the species is facing in the reserve and nearby areas.

Project: Climate Change Effects on Elevational Distributions of Salamanders in Great Smoky Mountains National Park.

Grantee: John Crawford

Region: North Carolina

The southern Appalachian Mountains, and Great Smoky Mountains National Park in particular, harbor >17,000 plant and animal species, including a greater diversity of salamanders than anywhere else in the world. This unique salamander diversity is, in part, one of the reasons that GSMNP has been designated as an International Biosphere Reserve by the United Nations. The primary goal of this project is to quantify the effects of climate change over the past 50 years on the salamander assemblages of GSMNP. Understanding the effects of climate change on these charismatic amphibians is critical for future conservation decisions.

Project: Exploring the Role of Symbiotic Ants in Maintaining Neotropical Dry Forest Diversity.

Grantee: Victor Carmona

Region: Costa Rica

Evaluation of how the clearing of understory vegetation by symbiotic Pseudomyrmex ants that inhabit swollen-thorn Acacia impacts the richness, diversity, and composition of Neotropical dry forest seedling communities.

Project: Verifying the Rediscovery of the Extinct Puerto Rican Bullfinch on Nevis, West Indies.

Grantee: Robert Ricklefs

Region: West Indies

A two-week expedition to the island of Nevis, in the northern Lesser Antilles, to assess reports of a previously undocumented bullfinch Loxigilla sp., potentially a population of the Puerto Rican bullfinch Loxigilla portoricensis grandis, which became extinct on the neighboring island of St. Kitts sometime after 1929. We shall survey bullfinch populations on Nevis across a habitat gradient to high-elevation forests where the anomalous individuals have been sighted and photographed.

Project: Why the Rush? Unlocking a Migratory Mystery in Tropical Birds.

Grantee: Marvin Morales

Region: Brazil

The study of bird migration has never been more important or more exciting. Nowhere is the complexity of avian migration more mind-boggling and overlooked than in South America, home to about one-third of all bird species on earth. Despite the discrepancy in knowledge about migrant bird ecology in North vs. South America, it is already clear that migrantory birds in SouthAmerica behave in “strange” ways. this project attempts to solve a mystery with respect to the breeding and migration of the Fork-tailed Flycatchers

Project: Exploring Bat Diversity in the Osa Peninsula: Local Capacity Building for Research and Long-term Monitoring.

Grantee: Emma Boston

Region: Costa Rica

Long term monitoring of biodiversity has been deemed essential to determine the effectiveness of conservation efforts by the Convention of Biological Diversity. Costa Rica is recognised as a global biodiversity hotspot. Bats are essential for ecosystem functioning, particularly in tropical forests, and are useful bioindicators. Costa Rica is home to around 11% of bat species in the world, with bats making up more than half the country’s mammal species list. Within Costa Rica, the Osa region, in the south Pacific coast, is known for its exceptional diversity and high levels of endemism.

Project: Determining the Effects of Cultured Pearl Farming on Shorefish Biodiversity in Lagoon Environments of French Polynesia.

Grantee: Kent Carpenter

Region: French Polynesia

A pristine and thriving ecosystem offers pearl oysters the nutrients, water quality and shelter they need for healthy growth. Many cultured pearl farms are located in areas of the Pacific that boast the greatest marine biodiversity on the planet. However, although the ecological impacts of pearl oyster farming are believed to be largely positive, they continue to be poorly understood. This requires more research. This research focuses on the impact of pearl oyster farming on shore fish diversity in different lagoon environments in French Polynesia.

Project: Quest for a Methuselah Coral in the South Atlantic.

Grantee: Kelly Kilbourne

Region: South Atlantic, Rocas Atoll
We propose an expedition to Rocas Atoll, the only coral atoll in the South Atlantic, to gather ecological data and collect coral core samples for studying past climate change in the region. RocasAtoll is a remote and minimally studied reef with a unique coral community assemblage. The atoll contains abundant corals in the 20-50 cm size range but larger corals are needed for coral-based climate studies and no systematic survey of colony size exists. We propose conducting an ecologic survey to quantify coral species diversity and size distribution around the atoll.

Project: Pacbitun Regional Archaeological Project.

Grantee: Terry Powis

Region: Belize

Over the past several decades, cave studies have become a viable subdiscipline of Maya archaeology. Archaeological investigations in the periphery of Pacbitun, located in west central Belize, provide a unique opportunity to observe ancient Maya cultural behavior upon entering caves around Pacbitun. Using pattern recognition software, similar to that used by North American law enforcement agencies, we attempt, through photography of deposited artifacts like ceramic pottery vessels, to reconstruct pilgrimage circuits the ancient Maya undertook more than a thousand years ago.

Project: Archaeological Investigations of Indigenous Cultural Change and Persistence at Colonial Achiutla, Oaxaca, Mexico.

Grantee: Jamie Forde

Region: Mexico

Achiutla adapted to this rather abrupt change in their daily lives. The proposed research will comprise the first archaeological excavations ever carried out at this important yet understudied site, entailing investigations of indigenous households dating to the Late Postclassic (A.D. 1200-1521) and Early Colonial (A.D. 1521-1600) periods, examining changes and continuities in native lifeways. Results are expected to contribute to anthropological understandings of how native Mesoamericans were able to actively maintain and adapt aspects of their cultures amidst dramatic social upheaval.

Project: Potrero de Payogasta, An Inca Political Center at Northwestern Argentina.

Grantee: Luis Alberto Martos

Region: Argentina

Potrero de Payogasta is located at La Poma, in the SaltaProvince, Northwestern Argentina. It rises at the west side of the PotreroRiver, on a low ridge modified with retaining walls and terraces comprising of at least 50 structures distributed in 9 principal groups, including storage facilities, housing, ceremonial compounds, and defensive instalations. The objective of this project is to develop an integrated study of this site considering it as a multifunctional settlement built by the Inca state during its expansion and political and economical consolidation in northwestern Argentina.

Project: Migration ecology of Tibetan Antelope or Chiru, Pantholops Hodgsonii, at Arjinshan Nature Reserve, Xinjiang, China.

Grantee: Paul Buzzard

Region: China

The Tibetan antelope or chiru (Pantholops hodgsonii) is endemic to the Tibet/Qinghai plateau, and early explorers saw chiru herds in the tens of thousands. Despite the remoteness of their habitat chiru have been decimated for their fine wool known as “shahtoosh” and are categorized as endangered on the IUCN redlist. Female chiru in most populations migrate up to 350 km from winter rutting grounds to summer calving grounds, and these migrations characterize the plateau ecosystem. Conserving long distance migrations is a priority, and for proper chiru management it is necessary to know more about their migration ecology.

Project: In Search of Homo Floresiensis: New Excavations at Liang Bua, Flores.

Grantee: Matthew Tocheri

Region: Flores Island, Indonesia

The remarkable discovery in 2003 of 18,000 year old remains of a new human species (Homo floresiensis) at Liang Buacave on the Indonesian island of Flores sparked worldwide scientific and public interest. The study will conduct targeted excavations at Liang Bua that have a strong likelihood of contributing new and significant insights into human evolution and diversity, will add to knowledge about past dispersals of early humans out of Africa and across Asia, and will increase knowledge of the evolutionary and ecological history of species living around Liang Bua and the processes responsible for population declines and extinction.

Industrial chemicals pollute our oceans, including our seafood. Photo: Brian J. Skerry / National Geographic Stock

Grant Recipient: Scripps Institution of Oceanography
Project Support: Assessing Modern Global Pollution of Seafood
Term: 2011/2012

In the past century, humans have put 83,000 synthetic industrial compounds into the environment. 5000 of these chemicals are high production volume chemicals, produced at volumes of thousands of metric tonnes annually. We have also dramatically changed the environmental levels of natural harmful compounds such as carbon dioxide and mercury; indeed two-thirds of the mercury in the atmosphere today is from our use of coal for energy. Many modern industrial compounds, such as pharmaceuticals, perfluorocarbons (PFC; teflon) and polybrominated diphenylethers (PBDE; flame retardants), are highly persistent.

The oceans are a repository for global pollutants. In turn, our own exposure to these ocean pollutants is often directly linked to our consumption of seafood. For example, elemental mercury in the atmosphere is deposited in the oceans through atmospheric processes and converted to organic mercury by microbes in sediments. Organic mercury persists, by binding to intracellular proteins, and rapidly moves up the food chain where it accumulates to high levels in long-lived fish. In turn, we humans are exposed to mercury when we eat those fish. There is urgent need to measure the scale of the ocean pollution problem and to determine the extent to which it presents a threat to human and environmental health through consumption of seafood.

Through this project, a global map of distribution of key contaminants in yellowfin tuna will be generated. These data will describe robustly whether or not 'pollution knows borders', namely whether any of the world's seafood sources are beyond the influence of chemical pollution.

Project Goal

The overall goal of this project is to estimate levels and distributions of modern industrial chemicals in the global seafood supply. The principal focus will be on one common fishery, the yellowfin tuna. Yellowfin tuna is among the most important fisheries targets worldwide, supporting fishing activities worldwide in tropical and subtropical seas. Approximately one million metric tonnes of yellowfin tuna are caught annually, making up one of the largest single-species contributions to total worldwide finfish consumption (approximately 2% of the total by yellowfin tuna alone). Yellowfin tuna tend to school in shallow waters and thus are likely to be regularly exposed to common sources of marine pollution that are concentrated in the shallow depths of the ocean.

During the first phase of the study, an unbiased chemical screen of yellowfin tuna will be conducted to identify the types and range of chemicals found in these fish. In the second phase, the study will amplify on this screen with targeted analysis of the major problem chemicals generating a large, statistically robust dataset on these common pollutants in yellowfin. They anticipate focusing on modern organic pollutants, including PBDEs, PFCs and one toxic metal, mercury. The study will explore the scope of the problem by comparing contaminant levels in fish across the globe, asking the question whether any fish, even those from the most remote areas of the planet, are free from contamination by modern chemicals.

This project will give us a better understanding of the scope of the seafood pollution, specifically focusing on identification of modern industrial chemicals. This proposal targets a gap in knowledge of how industrial chemistry influences our food supply through global marine pollution.

A Call for Support

Help is needed in collecting yellowfin tuna samples from across the globe. Do you have access to locally-caught yellowfin tuna? If so, a collection kit can be sent and you can help in expanding the map. Please contact Stuart Sandin (ssandin@ucsd.edu) or Amro Hamdoun (ahamdoun@ucsd.edu).

Resources/Media

Scripps Institution of Oceanography Website

Grant Recipient:  The Aspen Institute
Project Support:  Ocean Community Study
Term:  2011/2012

The Aspen Institute mission is to foster values-based leadership, encouraging individuals to reflect on the ideals and ideas that define a good society, and to provide a neutral and balanced venue for discussing and acting on critical issues. The Aspen Institute Energy and Environment Program provides leadership and a neutral forum for improving policy making through intentional values-based dialogue in the areas of energy and environmental policy. For over 35 years, the Energy and Environment Program has directly sought to improve the quality of leadership and the formation of policy through dialogue on the environmental challenges facing societies and organizations. Through a form of intentional dialogue that fosters candid exchange among people of diverse viewpoints, the Program seeks solutions to, or seeks to better frame the questions regarding, important energy and environmental policy issues.

Study Initiative

The purpose of this initiative is threefold:  1) to develop a method for how to evaluate marine protection policy advocacy effectiveness; 2) to assess the efficacy of marine protection policies and advocacy initiatives in three defined areas; and 3) based on this research and analysis, recommend new strategies for how to significantly enhance the effectiveness of advocacy and other initiatives (e.g., science, education, communication, etc.) to improve policies related to marine protected areas, consumer awareness and overfishing.

Aspen’s focus will be on strengthening MPA policy success & MPA advocacy effectiveness through information feedback loops – self-assessment, planning and evaluation.

The research and dialogue conducted for this initiative will be used to formulate new thinking about the funding and advocacy decision making process affecting marine protection initiatives. The final report will present findings and create recommendations as to how the ocean community can be more effective as policy advocates and how it can make significant improvements in ocean conservation strategy and policy.

This project aims to develop an impartial ocean community advocacy study to assess and recommend how the ocean conservation funding and policy community can more systematically plan and evaluate their advocacy work and strategies for having greater impact on marine protection policy. The research will be organized to survey, analyze and make findings and recommendations addressing how to evaluate the effectiveness of marine protection policies; how philanthropists, the scientific community and NGO’s can improve the effectiveness of their advocacy, education and other marine protection strategies; and how to create new strategies to achieve greater progress in three key ocean conservation and policy areas:

• Creation of Marine Protected Areas (with significant spatial and temporal scale)
• Raising awareness to the problem and risks of overfishing and seafood consumption
• Fisheries reform to sustainable catches

A threshold (and independent research task to be managed by Aspen) of this inquiry requires assessing the level of past and current policy effectiveness in these areas as well.

Resources

The Aspen Institute Website

Imagine if the ocean had its own PR agency. A team of innovators born and constituted online. That’s Upwell. Amplifying stories, flying the ocean flag, and inspiring change.

Grant Recipient: Ocean Conservancy
Project Support: Upwell
Term: 2011/2012

Upwell is a social media communications project, somewhat similar to a nonprofit agency. The sole client is the ocean where the goal is to bring attention to marine conservation issues by utilizing abundant online ocean content channels in order to create awareness. Join them as they grow audiences and deepen existing audience relationships by increasing the volume, substance and relevance of ocean-related content.

The Upwell team is trained to sift through the vast amounts of real-time online conversations and content online. Their mission is to condition the climate for change. The project is incubated by Ocean Conservancy, and made possible by grants from the Waitt Foundation and other donors.

What does Upwell do?

Upwell curates and contextualizes the best ocean content online, create tools, and forge connections to help these conversations amd push past sticking points.

Upwell brings value to the professional ocean conservation sector by delivering a stream of contextualized curated content across whatever platforms the sector uses: an email newsletter, a blog, Twitter, LinkedIn, or conference presentations and webinars. They’re at home online, but also respect the power of traditional media. They strive to do the hard work of making scientific research accessible to popular audiences online and also the creative work of making sure the hook is in the story. Video is their BFF, and a compelling image is the wingman.

They run data-driven campaigns on specific issues in order to learn what works in marine conservation communications and share campaign data with the sector. When one of our experiments doesn’t deliver the expected results, they’re still thrilled to learn from that failure and will share the hard-earned lesson with the sector. They fail so that the sector can succeed.

Staff Expertise

Rachel Weidinger, Director. From the start of her marketing career at natural foods superstore Wild Oats, she has successfully engaged audiences in environmental, arts and social justice challenges. Most recently, Rachel was head of international marketing at TechSoup Global where she led outreach in collaboration with 36 NGO partners. In the past, Rachel worked with social enterprises including NTEN, the Black Rock Arts Foundation, SF Environment, Copia, and the Xtracycle Foundation. She is a frequent trainer and speaker on social media and mobile apps at conferences including SXSW Interactive, NetSquared and the Nonprofit Technology Conference. Rachel founded her own consultancy, and later was Senior Consultant and Marketing Director at Common Knowledge. Thanks to a full Harrison Scholarship, Rachel graduated from Miami University’s School of Interdisciplinary Studies with a Bachelors of Philosophy. She completed the coursework at the Ohio State University master’s program in Arts Policy and Administration.

Rachel Dearborn, Senior Account Executive. With over six years of experience agitating for social change, Rachel is intuitive and adroit at scraping the social, cultural and political landscapes for opportunity, carefully crafting outcome-oriented messaging and campaign collaterals, and using technology to strengthen networks. Rachel joined Upwell in March 2012 after nearly four years at Spitfire Strategies designing communications strategies and providing counsel, tools and training to a variety of nonprofits and foundations. Some of Rachel’s clients at Spitfire included the Irvine Foundation, California Environmental Associates, the Population Council, and the U.S. EPA. Rachel most recently worked with the Packard Foundation and the Surdna Foundation to support network-building, collaboration and coordinated communications among their environmentally-focused grantees, including WWF, Monterey Bay Aquarium, FishWise, Sustainable Fisheries Partnership, Green For All, NRDC, Ceres, Energy Action Coalition and many more. Rachel also helped to spearhead Spitfire’s own social media practice, and has trained small and large nonprofits on using the web to create change. Rachel earned an English literature degree at Brown University in Providence, RI.

Resources/Media

Upwell Website
Upwell Twitter
Ocean Conservancy Website
Ocean Conservancy Facebook
Ocean Conservancy Twitter

Harbor Branch Oceanographic Institute Research Vessel Seward Johnson streams a Waitt Institute for Discovery Autonomous Underwater Vehicle (AUV) in the South Pacific.

The Waitt Institute

Ted Waitt believes if we can better understand ourselves and our world, it will become easier for us to embrace what we all share in common and work together to promote a better future. As such, in 2005 he expanded the Waitt Foundation to include a new research arm known as the Waitt Institute.

Serving as an exploration catalyst, the Waitt Institute enables scientific pioneers to transform the ways in which discoveries are made. Collaborating with world-renowned organizations, the Institute pulls together the global expertise needed to accelerate groundbreaking research, exploring everything from the origins of man and the birth of civilization to enduring historical mysteries that have captured our collective imaginations for generations.

From learning who built the ancient pyramids, to charting unexplored areas of the ocean to even knowing what really happened to Amelia Earhart, the Institute has donated more than $18.5 million in grants to support superior field research leading to greater knowledge and appreciation of the human journey.

While complete details about Waitt Foundation field research may be found at Waitt Institute, links to spotlights on some of our key projects may be found below:

CATALYST team members prepare to launch the Waitt Institute's Autonomous Underwater Vehicles (AUVs) during the 2009 search for Amelia Earhart's plane in the South Pacific.

CATALYST Program

In 2006, with an emerging focus on ocean conservation, the Waitt Institute established the CATALYST Program to accelerate deep-sea exploration, cutting-edge scientific research and sustainable ocean policy. Three expeditions have been conducted so far:

- Florida Reef Mapping —- To create the first-ever high definition side scan sonar maps of the deepwater reefs Lophelia and Oculina in the Florida Straits…

- Earhart Expedition — To locate Amelia Earhart’s plane in the South Pacific and create the first-ever high definition side scan sonar maps of previously unexplored areas of the ocean floor…

- Titanic Expedition — To conduct a full survey of the wreck site capturing Titanic in 2D and 3D video, creating a first ever archeological site map.

NGS/Waitt Grants Nicaragua Archaeology Project ~ photograph by grantee Alexander Geurds

Other Field Research

Over the years, the Waitt Institute has also partnered with highly respected and well-known science organizations to support historical exploration, research and conservation projects such as:

- National Geographic Society

--To fund the National Geographic Society/Waitt Grants Program, supporting new fieldwork with the potential for breakthroughs, and …

–To authenticate and preserve the Gospel of Judas, an ancient manuscript thought to be 20 centuries old.

- Ancient Egypt Research Associates

–To fund and facilitate the Giza Mapping Project of the Giza Plateau, as well as purchase the land needed for the Salvage Archaeological Field School.

A Waitt Institute Autonomous Underwater Vehicle (AUV) surfaces near the R/V Seward Johnson during the 2009 CATALYST 2 Search for Amelia Earhart in the South Pacific.

Waitt Institute
“CATALYST Program”

The Waitt Institute established the CATALYST Program in 2006 to accelerate deep-sea exploration, cutting-edge scientific research and sustainable ocean policy. Since that time the Institute has completed several CATALYST missions, partnering with Harbor Branch Oceanographic Institute for scientific and technical expertise, and Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution for operation of the Institute’s two REMUS 6000 Autonomous Underwater Vehicles (AUVs).

AUV "Ginger" readys for launch during Titanic Expedition.

The Waitt Institute’s Autonomous Underwater Vehicles (AUVs) are the most sophisticated deep-sea search vehicles known to science today. Programmed to operate independently once released from a support ship, they carry multiple instruments and sensors, including side scan sonar and even a camera to take detailed pictures of the ocean floor. AUVs are used for many exploration and mapping purposes, including marine conservation and ocean health studies, fishery operations, scientific sampling, geological charting and more.

Titanic: Virtually Raising the Wreck

On September 1, 1985, Titanic was discovered resting on the ocean floor. Twenty-five years after her discovery, RMS Titanic, Inc., in partnership with Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution and the Waitt Institute, embarked on what is arguably the most technologically advanced scientific expedition to Titanic ever organized.

Bow of Titanic

September 2010, RMS Titanic is brought together a team of leading experts in various oceanographic, scientific and nautical archaeological fields. Using the latest advances in technology, the expedition team conducted a full survey of the wreck site capturing Titanic in 2D and 3D video, creating a first ever archeological site map.

Provided by the Waitt Institute, AUVs will enabled the expedition team to create the first ever comprehensive and multi-dimensional map of the Titanic wreck site. The AUVs, with their suite of onboard sensors provided new and unique views of the famous ship and revealed secrets about her past, present, and future. AUVs were one of the most important pieces of equipment used in Expedition Titanic.

Search For Amelia Earhart

Launched in 2009, the Earhart Expedition was a deep-sea search to find Amelia Earhart’s plane in the remote region of the South Pacific where many believe she crashed and sank in 1937. She and navigator Fred Noonan vanished without a trace during Earhart’s attempt to become the first woman to fly around the world.

Near replica of Amelia Earhart's Lockheed Electra 10E Aircraft

The largest-ever, private deep-water search ever undertaken, the mission involved bringing together a diverse group of experts to identify the most likely search areas for Earhart’s plane. Then, using a pair of REMUS 6000 Autonomous Underwater Vehicles equipped with side scan sonar, an on-site research team surveyed over 2,000 square miles of ocean floor at an average depth of 5,200 meters.

Marine Geoscience Data System ~ Sonar mosaic of Amelia search area

Results: Elimination of Search Area for Amelia and Detailed Sonar Maps. Although Earhart’s aircraft was not located, researchers are confident it’s not in the area searched. The CATALYST AUVs were able to survey 2,000-square miles of ocean floor, and then re-acquire, re-image and clearly photograph targets as small as a pipe, a chain and a metal drum.

Coral Reef Maps of the Florida Straits

Taking place in the Florida Straits during 2008, the Florida Deep Reef Mapping Expedition employed the AUVs to create the first-ever, high definition side scan sonar maps of deep-water Lophelia and Oculina coral reefs off the coast of eastern Florida. The mission was also the perfect opportunity to perform sea trials for the Institute’s new REMUS 6000 Autonomous Underwater Vehicles (AUVs), giving the team an opportunity to work together and coordinate operations under at-sea conditions.

Multibeam sonar mosaic of the three pinnacles, nicknamed 'Triceratops.' Multibeam sonar is more downward looking than side scan sonar and gives finer detail about the bottom.

Results: Detailed Coral Reef Maps and Discovery of New Reefs. More than 700 years old and home to thousands of species, the fragile coral reefs near Florida were documented in meticulous detail by the CATALYST team. Results from the mission, which included the discovery of three new Lophelia coral reefs, were used by HBOI to support designating the region as a Deep Coral Habitat Area of Particular Concern (HAPC). The mission also assisted HBOI in determining exact locations to explore on future expeditions.

With the hope that future expeditions will be able to use this information to find Earhart—and also to share the first-ever sonar maps of this area in the South Pacific—the Waitt Institute is publishing all scientific results at a specially designed new Search for Amelia Web portal. One of the most comprehensive digital records on the life and legacy of Amelia Earhart available today, Search for Amelia is a collaborative site where comments and ideas about Earhart and her final flight are invited and encouraged. All side scan sonar data files from the mission are also available via Marine Geoscience Data System (MGDS).

About Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution

Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution is the world’s largest, private nonprofit ocean research, engineering and education organization and is dedicated to advancing our understanding of the ocean and its interaction with the Earth system, and to communicating this understanding for the benefit of society. The Institution’s shore-based laboratories are located in the village of Woods Hole, Massachusetts, and on the nearby 200-acre Quissett Campus.

About Harbor Branch Oceanographic Institute

Harbor Branch Oceanographic Institute (Harbor Branch), a research institute of Florida Atlantic University, carries out oceanographic research in Florida’s waters and around the world. The research institute focuses on aquaculture, drug discovery from marine organisms, ocean engineering, marine ecosystem health and ocean exploration. Harbor Branch is located on the Indian River Lagoon near Fort Pierce on Florida’s central east coast.

Video

Ted Waitt: Why Amelia?
Waitt Institute founder, Ted Waitt, talks about his interest in Amelia Earhart’s story and legacy and why the Waitt Institute was interested in searching for her lost Electra.

Resources/Media

Waitt Institute Web site
Waitt Institute Facebook

Search for Amelia Web site
Search for Amelia Facebook

Search for Amelia Twitter (Also the voice of Waitt Foundation & the Waitt Institutes)

Fish displayed on ice offered for sale at the Rialto fish market. Photo: Todd Gipstein

Grant Recipient:  Oceans 5
Project Support:  The Seafood Traceability Project
Term:  2011/2012

The Seafood Traceability Project seeks to strengthen the traceability and transparency of global fisheries regimes to combat illegal, unregulated and unreported (IUU) fishing and to provide new accountability in dominant import markets, including the United States and European Union. Oceans 5 is supporting the dedicated work of four nonprofit organizations to achieve these objectives including World Wildlife Fund, Greenpeace,  Oceana, and the Marine Fish Conservation Network.

Challenge

Pike Street Market, Seattle, Washington. Photo: Phil Schermeister

Illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) fishing is estimated to average 18 percent of the global catch. However, it is estimated to account for as much as 50 percent of the catch in several important commercial fisheries and over 30 percent in several oceanic regions. The global value of IUU is (US) $10-23 billion per year. The scale of IUU fishing creates obvious and understandable negative impacts on ocean health and coastal communities. At the same time, however, it undermines the integrity of fisheries management regimes in fundamental and profound ways. For example, fishing nations, managers, and businesses have no economic incentive to reduce catch or take costly conservation actions if IUU fishing interests will simply capture those economic benefits.

With few exceptions, seafood products are not easily traceable from the point of final sale back to their point of harvest and production. Fishing vessels and their owners are not licensed, registered or tracked systematically on a global basis.  Moreover, processing facilities typically import their catch from multiple sources or countries before re-exporting to major markets.  In most instances, if a consumer, retailer, or even a government regulator wants to know what type of fish was caught where and by whom, that information is not available.

Opportunity

Combating IUU fishing is a high and growing priority of governments, the fishing industry, and conservationists. Parties to the United Nations’ Food and Agricultural Organization (FAO) recently finalized a binding new treaty defining minimum expectations for port controls on fishing vessels to reduce illegal seafood trade. The European Union recently adopted a far-reaching, anti-IUU certification scheme for imported seafood.  Large retailers, particularly those in the United States and European Union, are increasingly requiring that their seafood products are traceable.  In addition, new technologies and several for-profit companies have emerged to improve seafood traceability.

Most importantly, however, virtually all parties increasingly understand that existing seafood traceability policies, standards and mechanisms are inadequate. Oceans 5 seeks a unique opportunity to build upon emerging international requirements and expectations to define and implement a global system of seafood traceability.

Project Objectives

- Secure binding and enforceable traceability requirements for seafood sold in the U.S.;
- Improve implementation of anti-IUU fishing certification program in the EU;
- Establish an operational Global Registry of Fishing Vessels; and,
- Build government, business and public support for strengthened transparency requirements globally

About Oceans 5

Oceans 5 is a global funder’scollaborative, comprised of new and experienced philanthropists, committed to protecting the five oceans of the planet. The group collectively focuses its investments and support on large-scale, opportunistic projects and campaigns aimed at significantly expanding marine reserves and constraining overfishing.

Resources/Media

Oceans 5 Website

The Titanic rests in dock before setting off on its maiden journey on April 10, 1912 ~ Photograph by: RMS Titanic Inc., Photo Handout

On September 1, 1985, Titanic was discovered resting on the ocean floor. Twenty-five years after her discovery, RMS Titanic, Inc., in partnership with Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution and the Waitt Institute, embarked on what was arguably the most technologically advanced scientific expedition to Titanic ever organized. RMS Titanic brought together a team of leading experts in various oceanographic, scientific and nautical archaeological fields. Using the latest advances in technology, the expedition team conducted a full survey of the wreck site capturing Titanic in 2D and 3D video, creating a first ever archeological site map.

Provided by the Waitt Institute, Autonomous Underwater Vehicles (AUVs) enabled the expedition team to create the first ever comprehensive and multi-dimensional map of the Titanic wreck site. The AUVs, with their suite of onboard sensors provided new and unique views of the famous ship and revealed secrets about her past, present, and future. AUVs were one of the most important pieces of equipment to be used in Expedition Titanic. The most famous sections of Titanic, the bow and stern, were be documented in 3D using Remote Operated Vehicles (ROVs) that acquire digital data bringing portions of the Titanic to life. There is still much to be discovered and recorded on and below the seafloor.

Waitt Institute Autonomous Underwater Vehicle (AUV), one of the most important pieces of equipment to be used in Expedition Titanic.

 
History Channel:  First Map of Entire Titanic Wreck Site Sheds New Light on Disaster

As the 100th anniversary of Titanic’s sinking approaches, a team of scientists, engineers and imaging experts have joined forces to answer one of the most haunting questions surrounding the legendary disaster: Just how did the “unsinkable” ship break apart and plunge into the icy waters of the North Atlantic on April 15, 1912? Two years ago, HISTORY took part alongside the world’s top underwater experts in the most recent expedition to the wreck site. The undertaking yielded unprecedented new discoveries and the first comprehensive map of Titanic’s watery grave, helping specialists solve the century-old puzzle of what went wrong—and determine who or what was responsible. A HISTORY special entitled “Titanic at 100: Mystery Solved,” set to premiere on April 15 at 8 p.m. ET, will document the mission, capture the high-tech mapmaking process, unveil astonishing pieces of never-before-seen wreckage and present the expedition’s unexpected findings. Will the case of the world’s most famous maritime catastrophe finally be closed?

When Titanic sank in the early hours of April 15, 1912, its stern and bow sections separated. The two pieces came to rest roughly 2,000 feet apart from one another on the ocean floor, 2.3 miles below the surface of the North Atlantic.

Discovered off the coast of Newfoundland in 1985, Titanic’s wreckage has been the subject of much fascination and debate for over a quarter of a century. But even after 25 years, nearly half of the wreck site remained completely unexplored. That changed after the most recent expedition in 2010, when experts armed with sonar technology and high-resolution cameras mapped the debris field in its entirety, capturing 15 square miles of ocean floor littered with artifacts both large and small. Previous surveys had only comprised 60 percent of the area, leaving out significant pieces of the doomed ship and limiting conclusions about Titanic’s sinking to theories, conjecture and land-based studies.

The first to visit Titanic in five years, the 2010 expedition brought together a number of prominent underwater organizations that had never partnered before, including RMS Titanic, Inc., the wreck’s legal custodian and curator. Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution’s Advanced Imaging & Visualization Laboratory, a world leader in underwater imaging, developed special 3-D and 2-D cameras for the mission that delivered high-quality footage of extreme clarity. The Waitt Institute for Discovery, meanwhile, supplied self-controlled robots known as AUVs (autonomous underwater vehicles), capable of independently surveying the site with high-resolution side-scan sonar. These devices worked in tandem with an ROV (remote operated vehicle) provided by Phoenix International, a marine services contractor.

The National Oceanographic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), the National Park Service’s Submerged Resources Center and the Institute of Nautical Archaeology at Texas A&M University also contributed to the expedition. Titanic technical experts Parks Stephenson and Bill Sauder, marine artist Ken Marschall and accident investigator Jim Chiles served as consultants on behalf of HISTORY.

Together, the expedition’s participants generated a map that was not only more complete but also more precise than earlier attempts. “Over the course of time, there have been dozens of expeditions to Titanic, but notwithstanding all of the expertise and all of the technological advances, no one has even tried to accomplish creating a comprehensive site survey map of this wreck site,” said Chris Davino, president of RMS Titanic, Inc. “Previous expeditions have gone down in manned submersibles or photo sleds to cover an area of the wreck site,” Stephenson explained. “They would only cover a portion of the wreck site since they could only stay down for so long.” When experts fused together these disparate slices back on the surface, key information was lost—including the exact locations of artifacts and fragments.

Officer's quarters of the Titanic

The AUVs, which had never before been used on a shipwreck site, traveled the entire search area and returned with high-resolution views that were aggregated into a sonar map. The second step of the process involved sending out an ROV fitted with cameras to debris-rich sites pinpointed by the AUVs. “The sonar map is the baseline for the entire analysis,” Stephenson said. “It basically shows us the truth of where all of the debris landed, and then we used that as a guide to go through all of the raw footage. This gave us eyeball resolution on all those pieces, including pieces we’ve never seen before.” David Gallo, director of special projects at Woods Hole, described the footage captured by the ROV: “The images are staggering. There you are on the bottom of the ocean, transported to the sea floor. It’s mindboggling; even veterans who have been to Titanic numerous times are slack-jawed.”

The team believes its cutting-edge approach represents a paradigm shift in underwater archaeology. “Speaking as an archeologist, I think it’s extremely exciting,” said James Delgado, director of maritime heritage for NOAA’s Office of National Marine Sanctuaries. “This technology and these AUVs are as much a game changer for this kind of work on the bottom as going from a landline to a Blackberry.” Davino said it filled a longstanding void in research on the illustrious wreck. “So much of what we’re doing really hasn’t been done before,” he noted. “The map itself, obviously, is a first-time-ever product. People have been clamoring for this on Titanic for literally decades.”

In addition to offering a detailed look at critical elements of the wreckage—including the dual surfaces of the hull’s double bottom, a focus of a 2006 HISTORY special on Titanic—the mapping project revealed new and telling pieces experts knew little or nothing about. For instance, a pile of unidentified rubble, which Stephenson and other HISTORY analysts dubbed the “deckhouse debris,” turned out to encompass the base of Titanic’s third funnel and surrounding decks. “This gave us our first indication of how the ship actually broke apart,” Stephenson said of the piece, which he’d glimpsed in outtakes from the 2006 special. “It’s important not only to identify what things were but also to establish a context for them.”

The anchors on Titanic appear to almost be touching the ocean floor, due to the fact that the bow section is buried 60 feet in sediment. The portside anchor, shown here in 1987, is covered with rusticles.

By taking into account the locations of the deckhouse debris, the double bottom and newly discovered pieces on the sonar map, investigators recreate the ship’s final moments—in particular its deterioration and descent to the sea floor—in “Titanic at 100: Mystery Solved.” “You really begin to understand how violently the ship tore itself apart when it went down and landed all over this enormous footprint on the bottom of the ocean,” said David Alberg, sanctuary superintendent for NOAA’s Monitor National Marine Sanctuary. Filmmaker Rushmore DeNooyer, a producer of the HISTORY special, likened the undertaking to a forensic analysis of a crime or disaster scene—only in this case, 100 years after the tragedy took place. “If the National Transportation Safety Board looks at an airliner that crashes or if NASA looks at the Space Shuttle Columbia accident, they look at where the pieces are and how they are arranged and oriented on the ground,” he said. “That’s basically like the map.”

In keeping with this theme, “Titanic at 100: Mystery Solved” features a segment in which computer simulations enact the sinking in reverse, bring pieces of Titanic’s wreckage back to the surface and reassemble the ship in a “virtual hangar.” The aim is to determine how and why the ship’s structure failed when it split apart, as well as where exactly the break occurred. “Because of the comprehensive mapping from the 2010 expedition, we were able for the first time to reconstruct that broken middle area of the ship,” said Stephenson.

New Sonar Image of Bow (September 2010)

Among other hypotheses about Titanic’s sinking, the new analysis challenges the theory that Titanic didn’t break from the top down, as depicted in popular movies, but rather from the bottom up. It also investigates the widely held assumption that Titanic, famously touted as “unsinkable,” suffered from a fatal engineering flaw. A number of potential culprits have come under fire over the years, from the steel that encased the ship to the rivets that held it together. Did a fundamental weakness lurk beneath the grandeur of Titanic, as so many have suggested? How state-of-the-art was the liner for its time? What was the role of human error in Titanic’s demise, and who was to blame? “Titanic at 100: Mystery Solved” will explore these and other issues as experts work to put the mythic ship to rest once and for all.

Resources/Media

Titanic: Deconstructed - Video
Titanic: Coroner’s Report - Video
Titanic: Interactive

2010 Titanic Mapping Expedition

Meet the team of leading archaeologists, oceanographers and scientists. They did what no one has ever attempted before: virtually raising the Titanic, preserving the legacy of the Ship for all time.

Official Press Release:

Atlanta, GA, July 27, 2010 –RMS Titanic, Inc. (the Salvor-In-Possession of RMS Titanic and its wreck site) in partnership with Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution and the Waitt Institute will conduct a ground- breaking expedition to Titanic 25 years after its discovery, to do what no one has ever attempted before: take innovative measures to virtually raise Titanic, preserving the legacy of the Ship for all time. NBC News and NBC’s Peacock Productions will be the exclusive broadcast partner.

In what is arguably the most technologically advanced scientific expedition to Titanic ever organized, RMS Titanic, Inc. has brought together a team of leading archaeologists, oceanographers and scientists including The Institute of Nautical Archaeology, The National Oceanic Atmospheric and Administration’s National Marine Sanctuaries Program, and The National Park Service’s Submerged Resources Center to execute this historic “mission of firsts.”

New Photos from 2010 Expedition ~ Cutting-edge and 3D technology helped to produce this picture of the Titanic Bow from the starboard side -- the clearest to date. Photo: Premier Exehibitions, Inc.

Launching from St. John’s, Newfoundland on Wednesday, August 18, 2010, this 20-plus day expedition will employ revolutionary acoustic imaging, sonar technologies and high resolution optical, video and 3-D imaging to provide the first comprehensive view of the entire wreck site with unprecedented accuracy and clarity. Through this suite of sophisticated robots, sonars and cameras, leading experts will chart the boundaries of the wreck site, map the physical position of the Ship and its artifacts on the ocean floor, and create a blueprint that will inform the wreck site’s ongoing maintenance. Together, this data will work to paint a complete picture of Titanic that only a few have been able to witness first-hand.

Titanic enthusiasts will also experience the journey’s excitement and explore the wreck site in real time, with ongoing video feeds and photo postings, and interaction with key crew members through Facebook (www.facebook.com/rmstitanicinc), Twitter (@RMS_Titanic_Inc) and by visiting http://www.expeditiontitanic.com/ (launches on August 3rd).

“The significance and scope of this mission, the team we’ve assembled to carry it out, and the breakthrough technologies being deployed will give people the opportunity to experience Titanic like never before,” said Chris Davino, president of RMS Titanic, Inc. “RMS Titanic, Inc. has a singular purpose: to faithfully and respectfully preserve the memory of Titanic and of all who sailed with her. The goals and objectives of this expedition are fully aligned with that purpose.”

During their 1996 Expedition, RMS Titanic, Inc. captured this stunning image of the bow illuminated with the help of four Edison light towers.

“As the first scientific expedition of this magnitude since Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution, working with French colleagues from IFREMER, discovered the Titanic wreck site 25 years ago, this dive provides the perfect opportunity to utilize the exciting, new technologies we’ve been developing,” said Susan Avery, the president and director of Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution and a leading voice in the oceanographic community. “This journey is going to give us important perspectives into the decomposition of the Ship and its effect on the ocean and the seabed.”

“NBC News is thrilled to be at the forefront of this expedition and we look forward to capturing all the work and cutting edge science involved in the retelling of this remarkable story,” said Sharon Scott, Executive Vice President of NBC News’ Peacock Productions.

Leading the expedition is P.H. Nargeolet, director of Underwater Research for RMS Titanic, Inc. and a widely acknowledged authority of the site. A veteran leader of five previous journeys to the wreck, Nargeolet has completed 30 Titanic dives, supervising the recovery of some 5,500 artifacts along the way. “Never before have we had the scientific and technological means to discover so much on an expedition to Titanic,” said Nargeolet. “I’m energized and honored to be leading this all-star team of experts on a fascinating journey.”

David Gallo speaks with NPR on Expedition Titanic. Click to Listen.

Co-leading the expedition is David Gallo, director of special projects at Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution. Gallo actively promotes deep-sea exploration and is moved by the unprecedented collaboration between private, non-profit, and government entities to make this expedition a success. “There is a tremendous amount of technology and talent being focused on preserving this important icon of world history, the clear beneficiary will be the public-at-large,” said Gallo.

In virtually raising Titanic through three-dimensional modeling for the first time, this eighth expedition to Titanic by RMS Titanic, Inc. will mark numerous other firsts:

It is the first time this deep water wreck site will be transformed into an archaeological site with all scientific data available for review and study, including all of the factors influencing the wreck’s deterioration. This “road map” for the wreck site has critical implications for Titanic’s future.

Microorganisms collected at the site and evaluated through advanced technology may turn out to be distant relatives of the original microorganisms that went down with Titanic, which will unlock a wealth of new understanding and information about biodeterioration.

The use of high definition and 3D (3DHD) video will produce the clearest images yet of the wreck and its surroundings.

The mission will gather critical information to develop new standards in underwater archaeology for maritime heritage site management, especially in the deep sea.

Assembled by RMS Titanic, Inc. this is the first time that a team of leading authorities has come together on a mission to Titanic, each united in the quest to model and map Titanic for future generations and to work for the site’s long term preservation.

Located 2.5 miles below the ocean surface, Titanic came to rest in a three-square-mile field of debris. This summer, a “dream team” of oceanographic experts, technical innovators and marine archaeologists have joined together in cooperation to achieve the mission’s ambitious goals.

“The Institute of Nautical Archaeology pioneered the scientific study and excavation of shipwrecks through the work of Dr. George Bass fifty years ago,” said James P. Delgado, president and CEO of Institute of Nautical Archaeology and the expedition’s principal archaeologist leading the effort to write the archaeological report and site plan after the mission. “Since then we havebeen involved in cutting edge work to refine the practice of archaeology beneath the water. We’re pleased to be invited to join this mission, working with leading researchers at Woods Hole, our government colleagues, and with RMS Titanic, Inc. to move in new directions for this site, and for science. This is a major step forward for this wreck, for understanding and working with deepwater shipwrecks, and represents all of us working for a common goal in the public interest.”

Additional organizations include: Droycon Bioconcepts- pioneers in the biological corrosion of shipwrecks, as well as scientific analysis of deep ocean flora; Nautilus Marine Group International - the premiere provider of underwater services, spanning condition assessment, navigational charting, and archaeology; and Kongsberg Mesotech Ltd. - the Canadian leader in the design and manufacture of underwater acoustic equipment, specializing in high-resolution sonar systems.

About RMS Titanic, Inc. - a wholly owned subsidiary of Premier Exhibitions, Inc

RMS Titanic, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Premier Exhibitions, Inc. (NASDAQ: PRXI), is the only company permitted by law to recover objects from the wreck of Titanic. The Company was granted Salvor-in-Possession rights to the wreck of Titanic by a United States federal court in 1994 and has conducted seven research and recovery expeditions to Titanic recovering more than 5,500 artifacts. Premier Exhibitions, Inc. located in Atlanta, GA is a leading provider of museum quality exhibitions throughout the world. Premier is a recognized leader in developing and displaying unique exhibitions for education and entertainment including “Titanic: The Artifact Exhibition”, “BODIES…The Exhibition” and “Dialog in the Dark.” More information about Premier Exhibitions, Inc. is available at the Company’s web site www.prxi.com.

About Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution

Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution is the world’s largest private, nonprofit, marine research and engineering, and higher education organization. Its mission is to understand the ocean and its interaction with the Earth as a whole, and to communicate a basic understanding of the ocean’s role in the changing global environment. Established in 1930 on a recommendation from the National Academy of Sciences, the Institution is organized into five scientific departments, interdisciplinary research institutes, and a marine policy center. The Institution conducts a joint graduate education program with the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.

About the Waitt Institute

The Waitt Institute is a non-profit research organization based in La Jolla, California. The Institute serves as an exploration catalyst, enabling scientific pioneers to transform the ways in which discoveries are made. Founded in 2005 by Ted Waitt, the Institute seeks to advance human understanding of the past and secure the promise of a better future through exploration and discovery. The WaittInstitute owns and operates two REMUS 6000 Autonomous Underwater Vehicles, and through the CATALYST Program serves as a leader in deep ocean exploration. With support from the Waitt Foundation, the Institute is committed to the scientific study and protection of marine environments around the world.

About the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) is our nation’s lead agency for the scientific research of the oceans and plays an important role in the conservation and management of ocean resources, including maritime heritage. The NOAA Office of National Marine Sanctuaries (ONMS) serves as trustee for the nation’s system of marine protected areas and is charged with conserving our nation’s marine resources including both natural and cultural. The office of National Marine Sanctuaries has over 35 years of experience managing underwater cultural resources beginning with the establishment of the USS Monitor shipwreck as the first National Marine Sanctuary in 1975. Through its Maritime Heritage Program, the ONMS is focused on preserving historical, cultural and archaeological resources. Under the R.M.S. Titanic Maritime Memorial Act of 1986, NOAA is a trustee for the public’s interest in Titanic, including its preservation for present and future generations.

About the Institute of Nautical Archaeology

The Institute of Nautical Archaeology (INA) is a global leader in the field of underwater exploration and discovery. Based out of Texas A&M University and Bodrum, Turkey, since 1973, it has sponsored more than 160 excavations and surveys around the world, from the Atlantic Ocean and Mediterranean Sea to the Yukon River. INA’s work includes some of the most significant archaeological discoveries of the past century, from the world’s oldest excavated shipwreck, dating from the time of Tutankhamen, to 13th century sunken ships from KhubilaiKhan’s failed invasion of Japan and Byzantine ships buried in the ancient harbor of Istanbul. In the quest to uncover humanity’s collective past from one of the world’s most demanding environments, INA has pioneered technologies and fostered excellence in all aspects of nautical archaeology, from excavation and conservation through to preservation, analysis and publication. www.inadiscover.com

About the National Park Service’s Submerged Resources Center

The United States National Park Service’s Submerged Resources Center is the standing underwater archeology team for our nation’s lead preservation agency. The team provides direct support to National Parks and partners responsible for the stewardship, public appreciation, access, understanding, and preservation of underwater cultural resources world-wide. Since its inception in 1980, the Submerged Resources Center has focused on innovative science-based site documentation techniques and interdisciplinary, minimum impact, archeologicalprocedures to understand and preserve our shared history that lies underwater. www.nps.gov/submerged.

About Peacock Productions
Peacock Productions is an award-winning, nonfiction production company that combines the editorial expertise, technical resources and seasoned production talent of NBC News to offer a wide-range of programming to broadcast, cable and digital entities with worldwide reach (www.peacockproductions.tv).

Resources/Media

Expedition Titanic
RMS Titanic, Inc.
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