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since Cordell Expedition divers explored it
more than 30 years ago. Divers returned to the
boat astonished at the pristine condition and
spectacular diversity of life covering the bank’s
upper reef. The team took photos and video and
collected samples of invertebrates that will be
analyzed for evidence of ocean acidification and
other effects of climate change.
HumpbackWhale
One of the world’s most important humpback
whale habitats lies in the waters surrounding
the Hawaiian Islands. Twenty years ago, 1,370
square miles of this habitat was designated as the
Hawaiian Islands Humpback Whale National
Marine Sanctuary. There divers can encounter
wild dolphins, manta rays, green turtles, whitetip
sharks and even endangered Hawaiian monk seals.
Marine biologist and diver Cynthia Hunter
said she enjoys the abundance of corals in the
sanctuary. “While Hawaii may have fewer species
than other places, there is a lot of what we have,”
she said. “And some of these sites are just plain
gorgeous.” Hunter adds that diving Hawaii in the
winter can be exhilarating. “The water might be
a little chilly, but it’s pretty amazing to survey the
reefs while being serenaded by humpbacks.”
American Samoa
Nestled in a submerged volcanic crater on the
southwest shore of Tutuila island, the National
Marine Sanctuary of American Samoa contains
a wealth of biodiversity that includes 200 species
of coral and more than 500 species of fish and
other animals.
“
I can’t express my amazement at seeing such
healthy and plentiful staghorn coral in the waters
around American Samoa,” said Kelly Anderson
Tagarino, marine science coordinator at American
Samoa Community College. “Being able to access
gorgeous coral reefs from the shore is a real treat,
especially when the viz is usually 50 feet or better!”
About 17 miles off Cape Hatteras,
N.C., in 230 feet of water, rests
the remains of one of the most
significant warships in American
history, the USS Monitor. Described
as a “tin can on a shingle,” the
Union Navy’s Monitor fought the
Confederate ironclad, CSS Virginia,
to an epic draw during the Battle
of Hampton Roads in March
1862.
The following December,
the Monitor sank in a fierce storm
while under tow near the cape.
Lost for more than 100 years, it was
discovered in 1973 and is now the
underwater attraction of America’s
first National Marine Sanctuary.
Conditions at the site can be
unforgiving, but the Monitor’s
legacy as the country’s first armored
warship makes it a compelling quest
for technical divers.
Today the Monitor is no longer
intact; most of its stern section, the
engine, the propeller, both cannons
and the turret were excavated
and moved to a state-of-the-art
conservation facility at The Mariner’s
Museum in Newport News, Va.
The museum’s USS Monitor Center
enables visitors to walk the deck of
a full-scale mock-up of the Monitor.
However, for the adventurous and
able, a technical dive to the vessel’s
remains offers a poignant connection
to those who lived and died in heroic
service to a struggling nation. This
year is the 150
th
anniversary of the
USS Monitor; its fascinating story
continues to awe and inspire new
generations of divers and nondivers
alike.
Enhancing its scope beyond the
protection and preservation of the
USS Monitor, the Monitor National
Marine Sanctuary has taken the lead
in NOAA’s efforts to research, survey
and document ships lost during the
Battle of the Atlantic in World War
II. The abundant photos, video and
sonar imagery collected during the
Battle of the Atlantic Project are
the result of collaboration between
NOAA’s Office of National Marine
Sanctuaries, the Bureau of Ocean
Energy Management, the University
of North Carolina Coastal Studies
Institute, East Carolina University,
the National Park Service, the State
of North Carolina and NOAA’s
National Centers for Coastal and
Ocean Science.
The project’s goals include
examination of the region’s
historically significant wrecks,
their representation of a maritime
battlefield and their relationship to
other elements such as shipping
lanes and geographical features.
This investigation has produced
numerous outreach materials,
including archaeological site plans,
blogs, posters, websites, dive slates
and videos.
Information collected from
vessels including the U-701, HMT
Bedfordshire and U.S. Navy patrol
boat YP-389 (a victim of the
U-701’s rampage found during
the 2009 Battle of the Atlantic
Expedition) is not only used for
scientific purposes; it brings pieces
of our nation’s history to people
who may never experience these
amazing sites for themselves. The
research will contribute to a more
informed discussion about possible
future protection and management
of the maritime archaeological
resources off North Carolina.
AD
The
Monitor
National Marine Sanctuary
Preserving Our
Maritime History
By Joe Poe
The
U-85
is one of many wrecks surveyed in the
Battle of the Atlantic Project.
JOE HOYT
JOE HOYT
Sandtiger sharks loiter on the Dixie Arrow, a tanker sunk in
the Battle of the Atlantic.