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believe can help document these complex structures in a very remote and challenging work environment to get the most out of short windows of survey opportunities. As part of this quest, they have recently procured a very high-resolution

R2Sonic 2024 multi-beam echo sounder system (MBES) with a 200-400 kHz and 700 kHz ultra-high resolution im- aging capacity. Also, as part of this MBES, are an Applanix

POS MV 320 inertial navigation system and AML Micro and

Minos sound velocity sensors.

In addition to the MBES, the team have also procured an

Iver3 AUV equipped with ring laser gyroscopic INS, for operating at high latitudes which render traditional ? uxgate compasses useless, Klein UUV 3500 SSS, and Marine Mag- netics Explorer Overhauser magnetometer. They hope to use this unit to systematically survey the extended debris ? elds of both wrecks.

“Our overall approach is indeed evolving, we are in the midst of exciting planning returning to the sites next year.

We’re continually looking out for newly developed technolo- gies that might help us study archaeological sites, learn about the past with the ROV, AUV, MBES along with all the docu- mentation tools we have. But, what is for sure is that no one tool will work in all environments and in all circumstances.

The more tools you have in your tool kit regarding differ- ent tech and experience in deploying them, the better off you certainly are.” “To my mind, there will always be an important role for hands-on underwater archaeology. Certainly, I’m able to get much more information from a site when I can get up close and have a tactile experience. Then again, often you can glean hidden details within video footage gained from ROVs that escaped you on the site, so it gives you the capacity to review the footage to ferret out all the information. While AUVs and

ROVs are amazing tools, there are some things that machines do well and certainly do better than human beings, but de? - nitely not everything. It’s the appropriate marriage of human and technology that will get the job done.”

In the ? eld of underwater archaeology, forensic tools are also becoming increasingly important. Harris hopes that

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DNA analysis will ? gure prominently in their ability to tease

Portable Power Systems out information about the Franklin expedition, to try to identi- fy from DNA evidence who the ? nal survivors were on board.

Marine technology which can work alongside underwater archaeologists through high-resolution imaging of complex

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expeditions. In the end, advancements in the ? eld of under- water archaeology aided by marine technology comes down to cost and accessibility of these tools, and the mercy of the elements.

Acknowledgements

Contact Us Today: - Ryan Harris, Senior Underwater Archaeologist, Parks Canada 1-800-96-ENERGY - Deep Trekker www.energy-sales.com [email protected] www.marinetechnologynews.com

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