Sunken Treasures

Though Rhode Island may be the small state, it contains some big surprises.  Though it only contains an area of 1,214 square miles, it has over 350 miles of coastline. From the states Narragansett bay to the open waters surrounding Block Island is hidden another of its large secrets. These waters are the resting places for over 2000 shipwreck.

As soon as Europeans arrived in the early 17^th century vessels began to meet their demise in the waters along the Rhode Island coast. From minor misfortunes to epic disasters over many centuries, wrecks of all types found their way to the murky depths of the Ocean State. Below the bays calm waters lies a record, moments in history, some waiting centuries to be read to bring their tale to light.

There is something mysterious about these shipwrecks.  What happened, when did it happen and after hundreds of years what remains of it at the bottom of the ocean. Using an ROV to help get a glimpse into this lost world, I have begun to map the shipwrecks, and build 3D models of them to share with the public. With each wreck is a new set of challenges that custom solutions will need to be developed to overcome. The goal of this project is to not only record pieces of our history before they are lost, but to also forge new tools for a golden era of exploration.

Here are some 3D models of the 1873 British Bark shipwreck Bessie Rogers we rendered from images of our exploration of the wreck.