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Team on Saipan to study WWII underwater heritage
Team of experts, locals, and veterans to share cutting edge research while on the island for project
A NOAA Ocean Exploration grant is funding Ships of Exploration and Discovery Research Inc. and East Carolina University on a project on Saipan. The team will study and share research on World War II underwater cultural heritage during the project from April 23 to May 14.
Researchers will use innovative technology to document sites, collaborate with local stakeholders on how to best manage them, include veterans as citizen science divers to gather conservation data, and develop public outreach materials for local schools.
Training for local veterans interested in participating in the project is set for May 3, 2023 at the American Memorial Park.
Additionally, a free public talk titled “What’s in Saipan’s Lagoon?” will be held on May 9 at the American Memorial Park from 5:30pm to 6:30pm.
The battle for Saipan in the Mariana Islands, code-named Operation TEARAWAY, was the largest U.S. amphibious invasion in the Pacific Theater by June/July 1944. The operation involved thousands of troops from all branches of the military and an imposing number of vessels, vehicles, and weapons. The battle for Saipan is considered of such significance that large portions of the island, including the World War II landing beaches, were listed on the U.S. National Register of Historic Places and designated a U.S. National Historical Landmark in 1985.
The location and investigation of underwater sites is essential to holistically identifying, analyzing, managing, and preserving the full battlefield. This project seeks to utilize emerging technologies to explore, locate, and characterize the underwater cultural heritage of the offshore battlefield, including the first Pacific war seadrome, invasion staging area, and potential environmental hazards from post-war dumping.
This project is a collaborative effort between non-profit SHIPS, ECU, Mariana Islands Nature Alliance, Task Force Dagger Special Operations Foundation, the Florida Public Archaeology Network at University of West Florida, the CNMI Historic Preservations Office, and Saipan researchers. Other partners include the Japanese organization APPARATUS and the Western Australian Museum. (PR)
