The Thunder Bay National Marine Sanctuary has announced the discovery of two Great Lakes shipwrecks. The discoveries were part of Project Shiphunt, an exciting archaeological expedition, sponsored by Sony and the Intel Corp., that included five high school students from Saginaw, Michigan.

In May, the students undertook the adventure of a lifetime: hunt for a shipwreck, investigate its identity, and document it in 3D for future generations. Accompanied by a team of scientists and historians from the National Oceanographic and Atmospheric Administration, the students conducted a full-fledged research mission, as they searched the deep waters of northeastern Lake Huron. The team also worked with scientists from Woods Hole Oceanographic Institute and NOAA's Great Lakes Environmental Research Laboratory to investigate the historically significant shipwrecks.

The team located the 138-foot schooner M.F. Merrick. In 1889, the schooner collided with a passing steamer in a dense fog. The Merrick sank immediately, and claimed the lives of five crew members, including a female cook. Today, the intact hull of the schooner rests upright on the bottom of Lake Huron.

The wreck of the steel freighter Etruria was also discovered and identified by the researchers. Launched in February 1902 at West Bay City, Michigan, the 414-foot long Etruria sank in 1905, after colliding with a steamer in thick fog. Today, the massive steamer sits upside down in deep water.

Project Shiphunt produced this video to showcase the high school students' efforts to find undiscovered shipwrecks in Lake Huron.

St. Paul, Minn — Maritime Heritage Minnesota conducted a limited excavation into the Mississippi River bank in Aitkin, Minn., where the steamer wreck Andy Gibson is located. MHM conducted preliminary nautical archaeological documentations of the wreck site in autumn 2008 and summer and autumn 2009 during low water conditions. It was determined that a substantial portion of the wreck site lay in situ underneath several feet of the river bank and it was hypothesized that the starboard (right) side gunwale may be intact within the bank.

In October 2010, during high water conditions, MHM sunk three small trenches into the river bank. The first trench was placed as far aft (toward the stern, or back of the wreck) as possible; the river bank becomes nearly perpendicular toward the stern and trenches could not be sunk in this area considering the conditions. MHM sunk trench one where, through visual inspection and with reference to historic photographs of the site, it was surmised the gunwale would lie.

On day two of the excavation, trench one opened up right on top of an intact gunwale, exactly where MHM hypothesized it would be located. The gunwale's condition was pristine, kept preserved and intact by over a century of protection by the river bank. At this point, trench one went below the river water level and the trench filled with water from beneath. The water was used to rinse off the delicate ship's timbers and actually assisted with the excavation.

MHM detailed the following nautical construction components in the Andy Gibson's gunwale: rub rail, clamp, futtocks, deck beams, deck planking, and outer hull planking. The presence of these attributes indicates that the Andy Gibson was constructed by boatwrights with knowledge of 19th-century river steamer construction. The wood condition was excellent with the exception of the (thin) deck planks that have become extensively water-logged over the decades and have shaped themselves over the components under them.

Trenches two and three, sunk amidships and forward toward the bow (front) of the wreck site also came down on top of the gunwale. The gunwale in these trenches was slightly higher up in the river bank. Consequently, the wreck's construction components were encased in thick mud. Complete removal of this mud would have destroyed the deck planks in these trenches so excavation was halted prior to the complete cleaning of the gunwale. Even without extensive cleaning, it was determined that all of the construction components discovered in trench one are present in trenches two and three.

The wreck of a mid-20th century fishing vessel, representative of the highest technological advances of the time, has been listed on the National Register of Historic Places, the nation's official list of cultural resources worthy of preservation. The Edna G. shipwreck site rests within the National Oceanographic and Atmospheric Administration's Stellwagen Bank National Marine Sanctuary of the coast of Massachusetts.

The Edna G. was a 54-foot groundfishing vessel launched in 1956 by the Morehead City Shipbuilding Corporation of Morehead City, N.C. From her launch until 1974, the Edna G. fished off the North Carolina and Virginia coasts, and in 1974 new owners moved it to New England. The vessel sank on June 30, 1988, off Gloucester, Mass., as her two-man crew set out its trawl net. A strange noise alerted the crew to water rapidly filling Edna G.'s engine room. The fishermen were able to abandon ship and were picked up by another fishing vessel. The exact cause of the sinking was never determined.

"Edna G. was listed on the National Register of Historic Places due to its exceptional importance as a remarkably intact example of 20th century fishing technology," said Craig MacDonald, superintendent, Stellwagen Bank National Marine Sanctuary. "The shipwreck represents a rapidly disappearing watercraft variety emblematic of the region's maritime traditions."

PRLog (Press Release) – Maryport was the home town of Thomas Henry Ismay, founder of the White Star Line, the shipping comany which owned Olympic, Titanic and Britannic.

We can see these three great ships rise again this month, in the form of three superb 1/150 scale models built of steel and timber.

The event is being organised by Clifford Ismay and Steven Fox on behalf of 'Maryport Maritime Heritage' a voluntary group set up to help save the town's Maritime Museum from closure. Amongst those expecting to be in attendance are several dignitaries of Maryport and Allerdale as well as various members of Titanic organisations.

Cliff Ismay is the great nephew of J Bruce Ismay, offering talks to schools groups and events throguout the UK. Exhibitions can also be arranged featuring a unique collection of steel hulled models of Olympic, Titanic and Britannic.