Exploring Deepwater World War II Battlefields in the Pacific Using Emerging Technologies

Exploring Maritime Heritage Careers

It takes a lot of people, with a lot of different expertise and skills, to pull off a project like Exploring Deepwater World War II Battlefields in the Pacific Using Emerging Technologies. This collaborative project included historians, archaeologists, biologists, conservation scientists, photogrammetry specialists, GIS specialists, and technical divers as well as citizen scientists, including members of the Northern Mariana Islands local and veteran communities.

To share the excitement of their work and educate the public about research, management, and preservation career opportunities, this team produced a series of videos focused on different aspects of their project. Each video features one of the team members introducing themselves and their role in the project and providing advice to young people who may want to pursue related careers.

These videos will be part of a traveling educational exhibit for museums, community centers, libraries, and schools in the Northern Mariana Islands to reach school children who might not otherwise be aware of these submerged archaeological sites and the career opportunities they offer. The videos are also available as a playlist on the Ships of Discovery’s YouTube channel.

Project Overview

Jennifer McKinnon, a researcher with Ships of Discovery and a maritime studies professor at East Carolina University, is the principal investigator of Exploring Deepwater World War II Battlefields in the Pacific Using Emerging Technologies. Here, she introduces the project and its purpose and all the expertise that’s called upon to execute it. Video courtesy of Ships of Discovery.
Download largest version (mp4, 2.28 GB)
Marine Biology and Outreach

David Benavente with the Mariana Islands Nature Alliance describes his role as outreach coordinator for Exploring Deepwater World War II Battlefields in the Pacific Using Emerging Technologies, shares his thoughts on the project and career path as a marine biologist born and raised on Saipan. Video courtesy of Ships of Discovery.
Download largest version (mp4, 2.12 GB)
A Veteran’s Contributions

Retired Master Sergeant George Vera shares how he got involved with Task Force Dagger Special Operations Foundation, became scuba certified despite his paralysis, and participated in the Exploring Deepwater World War II Battlefields in the Pacific Using Emerging Technologies project as a citizen scientist. Video courtesy of Ships of Discovery.
Download largest version (mp4, 94 MB)
Photogrammetry

Nicole Grinnan, an archaeologist with the Florida Public Archaeology Network, shares her experience as a deepwater diver for Exploring Deepwater World War II Battlefields in the Pacific Using Emerging Technologies, describing diving operations, target selection and investigation, and 3D modeling of sites through photogrammetry. Video courtesy of Ships of Discovery.
Download largest version (mp4, 96 MB)
Environmental DNA

Maggie Shostak, a doctoral student at East Carolina University, explains environmental DNA (eDNA) as it pertains to Exploring Deepwater World War II Battlefields in the Pacific Using Emerging Technologies: how it’s collected, analyzed, and processed and what it can tell us about life on the Battle for Saipan’s underwater battlefield and its impacts on the remains. Video courtesy of Ships of Discovery.
Download largest version (mp4, 116 MB)
Citizen Science

Della Scott-Ireton with the Florida Public Archaeology Network describes citizen science, how citizens (veterans, locals, and young people) contributed to the Exploring Deepwater World War II Battlefields in the Pacific Using Emerging Technologies project, and how to find and get involved in citizen science opportunities. Video courtesy of Ships of Discovery.
Download largest version (mp4, 78.3 MB)

Published July 5, 2023
Relevant Expedition: Exploring Deepwater World War II Battlefields in the Pacific Using Emerging Technologies