OTC 21252--Lophelia II Wreck Component: A Preliminary Archaeological Discussion

摘要

In 2008, field operations began for a four-year BOEMRE/NOAA/NOPP contract for a multidisciplinary deepwater study examining hard bottom coral habitat in the Gulf of Mexico. The project, officially designated as the Deepwater Program: Natural and Artificial Hard Bottom Habitats with Emphasis on Coral Communities: Reefs, Rigs and Wrecks “Lophelia II”, is typically referred to as “Lophelia II”. A substantial component of this contract is the examination of several deepwater shipwrecks. These wrecks represent the remains of four wooden sailing vessels and three steel hull vessels ranging in depth from approximately 612 meters to 2,271 meters. Field investigations utilizing AUV and ROV systems were carried out on these wreck sites during 2008, 2009, and 2010. This paper will discuss each of the Lophelia II shipwreck investigations, detailing the methodologies used and findings to date at each site.