A 19thCentury Shipwreck and the Myth of Deep Ocean Preservation

A major argument in favor of management of shipwrecks via in situ preservation is that deep ocean sites, if protected from the depredations of human interference, will achieve a state of relative equilibrium in the cold, unoxygenated depths, far below the level of wave action. It is true that such sites possess better integrity immediately after the wreck event, due to loss by foundering rather than grounding (as is the case in shallower, coastal waters). However, shipwrecks within the ecosystem of the Atlantic Ocean’s Gulf Stream face not only a level of biological activity much higher than comparable depths in more nutrient-deprived waters, but are also subject to severe damage from deep ocean trawling. A shipwreck site examined by Odyssey Marine Exploration at a depth of over 300 meters was found to be badly damaged by trawls, with over 75% of the ship structure – its contents smashed and removed from the site, with the remainder clearly showing patterns of drag disturbance. Only a small amount of cultural material survived undamaged where it was protected in crevices between remaining elements of ship’s structure. What was originally intended as a preliminary survey became a rescue mission when investigators noted the severe damage that had occurred between the time of the arrest of this wreck and the aforementioned visit.