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history of trade and Thunder Bay National Marine Sanctuary ship’s identity through video images. As the team watched the continues to reveal lost chapters of maritime history. We look footage from the ROV, there was no mistake: Ironton had been forward to continuing to explore sanctuaries and with our part- found.

ners reveal the history found in the underwater world to inspire In June 2021, Thunder Bay National Marine Sanctuary and future generations.” Ocean Exploration Trust returned to the site to carry out a more thorough investigation of Ironton. Conducting ROV operations

The Discovery of Ironton aboard U.S. Coast Guard Cutter Mobile Bay, the research team

Armed with the location of Ohio and further research into the partnered with the University of North Carolina’s Undersea weather and wind conditions from the night of the fatal col- Vehicle Program to collect high-resolution video and further lision, the team de? ned the area to search, and BEN and RV document the wreck. Resting upright and incredibly well pre-

Storm worked in tandem mapping the lakebed. served by Lake Huron’s cold freshwater, Ironton looks almost

As the project came to its ? nal days, the team had success- ready to load cargo.

fully mapped a large section of the search area, but Ironton remained undiscovered. The researchers expanded the search Project Partners area. Persistence and determination were rewarded when the NOAA and the state of Michigan jointly manage Thunder sonar returned an image from the lakebed of an unmistakable Bay National Marine Sanctuary. This project was made pos- shipwreck—and one that matched the description of Ironton. sible with the support of Ocean Exploration Trust and with

The sonar images provided great detail, but the team had more technologies from the Center for Coastal and Ocean Mapping, work to do in order to con? rm the identity of the discovered the Great Lakes Environmental Research Laboratory, the Uni- wreck. The following month, archaeologists from Thunder Bay versity of North Carolina’s Undersea Vehicle Program, and the

National Marine Sanctuary teamed up with the Great Lakes Great Lakes Water Studies Institute at Northwestern Michigan

Water Studies Institute at Northwestern Michigan College to College. The documentation of the shipwreck Ironton would explore the discovery. Utilizing a remotely operated vehicle not have been possible without the dedication of the United (ROV) from aboard RV Storm, the team sought to con? rm the States Coast Guard.

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