From Shore to Deep Sea: Maritime Archaeological Research and Investigations of the Night Boats PS Portland and City of Rockland

In the summer and fall of 2019, a team from WHOI, Marine Imaging Technologies, and NOAA’s SBNMS conducted an interdisciplinary exploration, survey, and telepresence outreach of biological and cultural sites within the Sanctuary, using some of the most cutting-edge underwater technology available to date. This work included surveys of the PS Portland and other shipwrecks using custom-made ROVs designed for collection of 4K motion video imagery plus 3D photogrammetry. The PS City of Rockland rests in tidal waters off Little Misery Island. Since 2018, students from Salem State University have investigated this shoreline shipwreck to understand site formation and cultural processes as evidenced in the archaeological record. This presentation will discuss latest research, future goals, and how these two shipwrecks, Portland and City of Rockland, provide case studies to engage new learners in the field of maritime archaeology — each in their own unique ways.