The Search for the 1871 Whaling Fleet of the Western Arctic: writing the final chapter |
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| Authors: | Bradley W. Barr James P. Delgado Matthew S. Lawrence Hans K. Van Tilburg |
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| Affiliation: | 1. Maritime Heritage Program, Office of National Marine Sanctuaries, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Silver Spring, MD, USA;2. Office of National Marine Sanctuaries, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Scituate, MA, USA;3. Office of National Marine Sanctuaries, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Honolulu, HI, USA |
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| Abstract: | During 2015, the NOAA Office of National Marine Sanctuaries led a systematic seabed mapping survey along the Arctic coast of Alaska in search of whaling ships abandoned in 1871. The purpose of the expedition was to determine if wreckage from these abandoned ships was still present in the survey area, and, if so, to assess and document its location, status and condition. The project mapped approximately 50 km2 of seabed using sidescan sonar and magnetometry and identified six sites that contained wreckage from at least two whaling ships. Magnetometry data also suggested that additional wreckage may be buried in the seabed. |
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| Keywords: | Whaling 1871 Arctic sidescan sonar magnetometry |
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