Live Exploration to USS Monitor Will Be On The Internet July 19

By Scott C. Boyd

Would you like to know what it’s like to be on an expedition to explore the wreck of the ironclad USS Monitor? On July 19 you can become a “virtual” team member on just such an adventure, if you have Internet access.

An expedition sponsored by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s (NOAA) Monitor National Marine Sanctuary (NMS), the steward of the site for the U.S. government, will visit and photograph the wreck in July. Five live broadcasts from the research vessel Endeavor will be viewable online at www.oceanslive.org.

The broadcast on July 19 will allow the general public to see the expedition live and first-hand. “We will have interviews with the crew, tour the research vessel and show some of the raw data collected during the expedition,” said Krista Trono, Monitor NMS Communications Coordinator. There will not be any artifact recovery associated with this mission, “only video and still imagery.”

The University of Rhode Island’s (URI) Graduate School of Oceanography (GSO) has operated the Endeavor, a 185-foot research vessel, for 30 years. The Endeavor (www.uri.edu/endeavor) is currently completing an expedition to study the archaeology and geology of the Aegean and Black Seas before returning to the Mid-Atlantic seaboard for the Monitor effort in July.

The Endeavor will carry robotic underwater vehicles from the Institute for Exploration (IFE) in Mystic, Conn. (www.mysticaquarium.org) to photograph the wreck site.

The State of Rhode Island and NOAA funded an expedition of 11 days according to Todd Chlaupek, Marine Superintendent for the Endeavor at the URI GSO, with $500,000 from the state.

An intriguing little coincidence is that the name of the vessel towing the Monitor near North Carolina’s Cape Hatteras when she sank on Dec. 31, 1862, was the USS Rhode Island.

m Cape Hatteras in 1973. The site was designated NOAA’s first National Marine Sanctuary in 1975 to protect it.
A photo mosaic of the wreck site was made in 1974. Photos of small sections of the sunken ironclad were joined together to form a detailed image of the entire wreck.

A lot of changes have happened to the site since then. In addition to further erosion of the sunken ironclad over time, a 1991 accident involving the anchor of a private fishing vessel caused “drastic and accelerated changes to the wreck,” according to information on the USS Monitor Center Web site (www.monitorcenter.org).

Additionally, the Civil War ship’s 30-ton main engine was raised in 2001, and the 120-ton turret, with its two XI-inch Dahlgren Shell Guns, was recovered in 2002.

“Yes, we are generating a new photo mosaic,” Trono said. “This project will create a current 3-D mosaic of the wreck post recoveries,” she added, referring to all the material removed from the wreck since 1974. The 1974 photo mosaic is the only one thus far

After leaving URI around July 15, the Endeavor will arrive at the Monitor NMS on July 17, when 15-minute live video feeds will be shown at 11 a.m. and 2 p.m. On July 18, brief updates will likewise be broadcast at 11 and 2, leading up to a longer broadcast on July 19 at 2 p.m.

“The climax of the expedition [for the public] is probably the July 19 event,” Trono noted. Along with the brief video feeds to be broadcast July 17 and 18, the public can follow the expedition through daily Web updates at www.sanctuaries.noaa.gov)

“On the 19th they will have an opportunity to see first-hand what’s going on in video and can  interact live with us,” she said. The broadcast  will be approximately 45 minutes.

The interactivity will come through instant messaging. “We’re still working this out,” Trono explained. Most likely they will use AOL or Yahoo and there is some discussion about a phone number to call in. Questions e-mailed beforehand to monitor@noaa.gov, will be answered live during the July 19th broadcast.”

“All broadcasts will be on www.oceanslive.org, which is not expected to be operational until July 17.

On the 19th Nauticus, a maritime-themed science center in Norfolk, Va., will broadcast in their theater via a satellite link (www.nauticus.org).

Immersion Presents, the Institute for Exploration’s education branch, will also show the broadcast via Internet 2 to their Immersion Presents locations across the country. Check www.immersionpresents.org for more information.

The final public event for the expedition will be when the Endeavor docks at Nauticus. The public is invited to tour the ship from 11 to 3 on July 21. No reservations are needed for the free tour, but may be made by e-mailing monitor@noaa.gov.

For more information go to www.sanctuaries.noaa.gov (a link to the Monitor NMS Web site is there as well). For information on this expedition, contact Krista Trono at (757) 599-3122 or monitor@noaa.gov