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Pushing the Boundaries: Using Advanced Technology to Locate and Rapidly Assess Cultural Sites in Multiple Underwater Environments within NOAA's Thunder Bay National Marine Sanctuary

Published by U.S. Census Bureau, Department of Commerce | U.S. Census Bureau, Department of Commerce | Catalog Last Checked: April 12, 2026 at 01:37 PM | Dataset Last Updated: April 10, 2017 at 12:00 AM
Located in Lake Huron, Thunder Bay National Marine Sanctuary was established in 2000 to protect one of the nation's most historically significant collections of shipwrecks. In 2014, the sanctuary expanded from 448 to 4,300 square miles, making it the nation's largest marine protected area (MPA) focused on underwater cultural heritage sites. Within this new boundary are 93 known shipwreck sites, while historic research indicates as many 100 additional sites remain undiscovered. The diverse geography throughout the expansion area, however, poses a challenge to traditional survey and site assessment techniques. Shallow, remote shorelines and shoal areas limit access from the water and preclude use of conventional vessel-deployed underwater survey tools. Similarly, little is known about the deeper bottomlands within the sanctuary's offshore expanses. Standard archaeological survey tools, sonar and marine magnetometer, offer a limited view of these areas. This project sought to develop innovative, technology-centered, and repeatable methodologies for locating and rapidly assessing cultural sites in shallow (less than 20 feet) and deep water (greater than 130 feet) areas. This project experimented with cutting-edge equipment and techniques. The deepwater survey segment involved looking for the historically significant wreck of steamer Choctaw, while the shallower survey focused on known "ship traps", determined via analysis of the region's coastal geography and historical use. Funding for this project was provided by NOAA Ocean Exploration via its Ocean Exploration Fiscal Year 2016 Funding Opportunity. This dataset contains field images and video taken by uncrewed aerial systems, scientific divers, and a remotely operated vehicle during project fieldwork May-August 2017 in Presque Isle County, Michigan.

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Lake Huron Michigan Alpena Thunder Bay Thunder Bay National Marine Sanctuary TBNMS Presque Isle Harbor Presque Isle

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description Located in Lake Huron, Thunder Bay National Marine Sanctuary was established in 2000 to protect one of the nation's most historically significant collections of shipwrecks. In 2014, the sanctuary expanded from 448 to 4,300 square miles, making it the nation's largest marine protected area (MPA) focused on underwater cultural heritage sites. Within this new boundary are 93 known shipwreck sites, while historic research indicates as many 100 additional sites remain undiscovered. The diverse geography throughout the expansion area, however, poses a challenge to traditional survey and site assessment techniques. Shallow, remote shorelines and shoal areas limit access from the water and preclude use of conventional vessel-deployed underwater survey tools. Similarly, little is known about the deeper bottomlands within the sanctuary's offshore expanses. Standard archaeological survey tools, sonar and marine magnetometer, offer a limited view of these areas. This project sought to develop innovative, technology-centered, and repeatable methodologies for locating and rapidly assessing cultural sites in shallow (less than 20 feet) and deep water (greater than 130 feet) areas. This project experimented with cutting-edge equipment and techniques. The deepwater survey segment involved looking for the historically significant wreck of steamer Choctaw, while the shallower survey focused on known "ship traps", determined via analysis of the region's coastal geography and historical use. Funding for this project was provided by NOAA Ocean Exploration via its Ocean Exploration Fiscal Year 2016 Funding Opportunity. This dataset contains field images and video taken by uncrewed aerial systems, scientific divers, and a remotely operated vehicle during project fieldwork May-August 2017 in Presque Isle County, Michigan.
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isPartOf Pushing the Boundaries: Using Advanced Technology to Locate and Rapidly Assess Cultural Sites in Multiple Underwater Environments within NOAA's Thunder Bay National Marine Sanctuary
issued 2017-04-10T00:00:00.000+00:00
keyword 
                                            [
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  "Michigan",
  "Alpena",
  "Thunder Bay",
  "Thunder Bay National Marine Sanctuary",
  "TBNMS",
  "Presque Isle Harbor",
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  "exploration",
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  "ocean education",
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  "science",
  "scientific mission",
  "scientific research",
  "sea",
  "stewardship",
  "systematic exploration",
  "technology",
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  "undersea",
  "underwater",
  "Lake Huron",
  "NOAA R5002",
  "R/V Storm",
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  "Underwater video camera",
  "Camera",
  "Side-Scan Sonar",
  "Multibeam",
  "Autonomous Underwater Vehicle",
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  "DOC/NOAA/NESDIS/NCEI > National Centers for Environmental Information, NESDIS, NOAA, U.S. Department of Commerce",
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modified 2017-04-10T00:00:00.000+00:00
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spatial -83.21,44.84,-83.61,45.37
temporal 2017-04-10T00:00:00+00:00/2017-08-30T00:00:00+00:00
title Pushing the Boundaries: Using Advanced Technology to Locate and Rapidly Assess Cultural Sites in Multiple Underwater Environments within NOAA's Thunder Bay National Marine Sanctuary

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