Anchor resting on the top of the Site 15429 wreck. Lophelia coral is also visible. Image courtesy of the NOAA Office of Ocean Exploration and Research, Gulf of Mexico 2012. Download larger version (jpg, 1.5 MB).
Anchor resting on the top of the Site 15429 wreck. Lophelia coral is also visible. Image courtesy of the NOAA Office of Ocean Exploration and Research, Gulf of Mexico 2012. Download larger version (jpg, 1.5 MB).
After a great first marine archaeology dive on March 27, everyone was excited about exploring a second target. Site 15429 was initially located in 2009 with the National Institute for Undersea Science and Technology's (NIUST) Eagle Ray autonomous underwater vehicle (AUV). The data showed a potential vessel resting on the seafloor. The remotely operated vehicle (ROV) dive confirmed what several members of the Science Team expected. The wreck appears to be a hotspot for Lophelia coral. Today turned out to be an all around great day for both the marine archaeologists and the biologists.
