In brief
Archaeologists map dozens of wrecks, revealing mysteries of the Great Lakes' past.
Last week, the Lake Guardian departed from Oswego, N.Y., embarking on an exciting journey into the annals of history. This EPA-owned research vessel is on a mission to explore the Lake Ontario National Marine Sanctuary, a vast 1,722-square-mile area that extends from New York State's coastline to the Canadian border. Beneath its seemingly tranquil waters lies a graveyard of 63 shipwrecks, remnants of vessels that once navigated the lake during the 19th century, often falling victim to treacherous weather conditions and unforeseen disasters.A team of maritime archaeologists from NOAA's Ocean Exploration Cooperative Institute, accompanied by students from the University of Rhode Island, aims to create intricate three-dimensional models of the wrecks. Central to this mission is Rhody, a remotely operated vehicle (ROV) equipped with high-definition cameras, which has already delivered astonishing footage of these submerged relics. The experts streamed their underwater discoveries live on YouTube, expressing their disbelief and excitement about what they uncovered. “There’s lifetimes worth of research potential here,” said Benjamin Ioset, a NOAA maritime archaeologist and a local of central New York. Having dived into these waters since he was 14, Ioset is intimately connected to the region’s rich industrial heritage. During a brief return to port, he inspired local high school students with the remarkable secrets hidden beneath the familiar surface of the lake. Shipwrecks, he noted, may typically conjure images of far-off seas, but they are also part of Lake Ontario's fascinating history.
