Battle of the Atlantic: Archaeology of an Underwater World War II Battlefield

We have now come to the end of a long and fruitful expedition. Trying new approaches and systems integrations while dodging tropical depressions and hurricanes presented some significant hurdles, all of which were navigated successfully. Read a wrapup of our mission in our expedition summary log.
The experience of piloting a manned submersible can be likened to flying a hot air balloon that maneuvers like a helicopter - we change our ballast relative to the fluid we are in, but can also use thrusters to move in any direction. Learn more about the role of a submersible pilot in our September 9th mission log.
On August 24th, the Battle of the Atlantic expedition welcomed Joe Mohorovic as a VIP guest onboard the R/V Baseline Explorer. Mohorovic’s connection to the Battle of the Atlantic is a personal and very unusual one. Learn more about Joe's links to the Battle of the Atlantic in our September 8th mission log.
Off the coast of North Carolina, thousands of shipwrecks speckle the seascape, dispersed among the natural, exposed bedrock that forms extensive reefs in both shallow and deep waters. These shipwrecks create reefs for fishes that our coastal fishing and diving communities depend on.
WWII veteran Louis Segal, at the tender age of 93, is undeterred as he makes the precarious step from the small transport boat onto the R/V Baseline Explorer. Everyone on the expedition team claps and cheers, and Segal has a big grin on his face. Segal joined the Battle of the Atlantic expedition as a special guest to add a real-life and personal perspective to the ongoing archaeological exploration.

The primary focus of this mission is to completely characterize the remains of a World War II Naval Battlefield. For years, NOAA’s Monitor National Marine Sanctuary has been conducting a series of comprehensive surveys of WWII shipwrecks off North Carolina associated with the Battle of the Atlantic. In 2014, following years of research and searching, the remains of the KS-520 battle were discovered. Now scientists are going back for further study. Read more...