report #14-01 on activities at ss central america shipwreck site

BackgroundOdyssey Marine Exploration, Inc. (OME) has been con-tracted by the court-appointed Receiver for Recovery Lim-ited Partnership, LLC (RLP) and Columbus Exploration, LLC to conduct an archaeological excavation, including a full pre-disturbance survey, recovery of select artifacts and any valuable trade goods remaining at the shipwreck site on behalf of RLP. In addition, scientific experiments will be conducted to continue a history of supporting scien-tific research at the site. This first report will provide an overview of the equipment, technology and personnel be-ing utilized to conduct the operations as well as an update of activities on the site between April 15, 2014, and May 13, 2014. Future reports will focus on the activities at the SS Central America site and will provide updates on con-servation and status of recovered material.

Overview of Equipment and TechnologyThe Odyssey Explorer, a 251-foot Class II dynamically posi-tioned (DP) ship, serves as Odyssey’s principal state-of-the-art, deep-ocean archaeological platform. She carries fuel and stores for missions of up to 60 days, accommodates 42 crew members, including technicians, scientists and archaeologists, and has extensive on board storage space for workshops, an archaeology laboratory, multiple cranes and a large A-frame for exceptional handling capability. When working on a project, operations are generally con-ducted 24 hours a day, seven days a week. The centerpiece of Odyssey’s advanced robotic ar-chaeology system is a Remotely Operated Vehicle (ROV), which serves as the archaeologist’s eyes and hands in the deep ocean and is deployed from the surface vessel. Od-yssey’s 200 HP work-class ROV on this project, called ZEUS, is driven by eight powerful hydraulic thrusters and is rated to operate up to depths of 2,500 meters (8,200 feet). The top of ZEUS contains foam flotation blocks, made from millions of tiny glass globes encapsulated in resin, which can withstand excessive pressure as well as allowing the ROV to be naturally buoyant. Although the ROV weighs a hefty eight tons, the foam flotation blocks, thrusters, and experienced pilots allow it to delicately ma-neuver over shipwreck sites. ZEUS is custom-designed for deep-ocean archaeological survey and recovery operations,

Report on Activities at SS Central America Shipwreck Site

April 15, 2014 – May 13, 2014Prepared by Odyssey Marine Exploration, Inc. for Recovery Limited Partnership, LLC

Report # 14-01

including visual inspection, pre-disturbance photographic and video documentation, scientific excavation and arti-fact recovery. ZEUS is equipped with advanced high-resolution acoustic positioning technology and telemetry, as well as a suite of HMI lights to illuminate pitch-black wreck sites and to enable high-definition still and video cameras to transmit images live from the seabed. ZEUS is remotely piloted by two technicians manipulating joysticks from the recovery ship on the surface above the wreck site. One pilot “flies” ZEUS while the other operates the manipula-tor arms. These pilots receive instructions from the project archaeologist who oversees the entire operation and directs the excavation methodology, including ZEUS’ movements on the seabed. The archaeologist, pilots, and project man-agers watch the same live high-definition video feed on TV monitors aboard the recovery ship.

The Odyssey Explorer is a 251’ deep-ocean archaeological platform.

The Remotely Operated Vehicle (ROV) ZEUS being launched for a dive to a shipwreck site.

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Report on Activities at SS Central America Shipwreck SiteApril 15, 2014 – May 13, 2014Report # 14-01

ZEUS has two Schilling seven-function Conan spatial correspondent manipulator arms capable of lifting objects comparable to the weight of an average man. Large objects can be handled directly using the manipulators. Small and delicate artifacts are picked up individually with a silicone or rubber limpet device attached to the ROV’s port ma-nipulator arm. In typical practice, during the recovery of individual coins, the operator will position the limpet very close to a coin and then engage the suction function thus contacting and securely holding the item for transfer to a container full of gel, which is a proprietary blend of mate-rials designed to protect the coins from abrasion or min-ute damage to the surfaces. There are two such containers located in aluminum chambers at the forward edge of an artifact drawer in the front end of the ZEUS ROV. The chambers and the drawer are within easy reach of either or both manipulators. Larger and heavier items can be pre-pared by ZEUS for recovery with a separate winch. Also Integrated into ZEUS is Odyssey’s proprietary Sediment Removal and Filtration System or SeRF™ for short. This venturi system channels sediments and small artifacts into a collection and filtration chamber to capture very small artifacts, such as buttons, fragments, seeds, or gold dust and nuggets while sediments exhaust through an opening at the rear of the container. The SeRF™ unit may also be configured to retain sediments for sieving. This-system has been employed to clear and excavate sections of wreck sites that the archaeologist wishes to examine for the presence of artifacts and ship structures. The venturi system can also be reversed to “dust off,” and gently clean the surface of the site to expose artifacts and structural ele-ments without disturbing the main matrix.

The ROV Control Room aboard the Odyssey Explorer.

ZEUS’ manipulator arms carefully recovering a porthole from the SS Republic shipwreck.

The project manager and archaeologist can direct the ROV operators while watching the live feed from the

ROV in the Offline Room aboard the Odyssey Explorer.

The dataloggers work in the Online Room to record all activities on the site.

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As exploration of the shipwreck site occurs, video and still images are recorded onto digital media. Every second of every dive is recorded on high-capacity digital video disk (DVD). The video and still images are tagged with a time code and navigational position, so that the loca-tion of each feature is logged. This produces a map of the spatial distribution of the various materials and features that are used by the archaeologist to better understand the site. These locations can be compared to the photomosaic, multibeam, or other image-based records, so that analysis of the nature and context is facilitated. A complete video and photo record is created and pre-served indefinitely. These logs allow complete reconstruc-tions and post-dive analysis of each dive event or artifact recovery. Data sheets, maps and reports essential for a va-riety of projects can then be created from this comprehen-sive digital archive. Odyssey has developed an extensive digital archive us-ing its unique data logging system to record all events and activities. Known as DataLog™, it receives and processes data from the ROV in real time. All activities, observations and artifact manipulations are logged through drop-down menus and accompanied by a comment typed by the op-erators aboard ship. The system is manned around the clock, 24 hours a day when the ROV is in the water. The program automati-cally logs all events, including time, date, dive number and precise geographical coordinates of the ROV’s position and of each artifact recovered or handled.

Survey TechnologyThe Odyssey Explorer is also equipped with a full suite of survey technology. Two multibeam sonars are utilized, a hull-mounted 7160 multibeam that is used for back-ground bathymetric surveys of a large area and an ROV- mounted 7125 multibeam system used for high-resolution images of the wreck site itself. ROV-mounted tools, including a pulse induction sub-bottom imaging sensors and ferrous anomaly detection equipment (FADE), which can be utilized to map items buried beneath surface sands to plan excavation operations.

Archaeological DocumentationAll reconnaissance dives, pre-disturbance survey work and archaeological excavation activities are recorded in multiple media formats. ZEUS’ high-definition cameras continu-ously record activities throughout the entire operation. Still photos are taken of artifacts or site elements determined to be of particular importance or interest by the project

archaeologist. Running commentary by all expedition par-ticipants is recorded on DVD, and archaeologists, project managers, and data loggers record observations on special computer software linked to event counters in the database. In the Offline Room, which is fitted out to be the archaeo-logical monitoring area, two large high-resolution display monitors receive imagery from ZEUS’ high-definition cam-era. One screen shows the original feed, while the other shows it after the image has been fed through filtering soft-ware to enhance color and clarity. In addition, two side-by-side computer screens on a desk below the large monitors display additional video feeds from various other sources. One displays the results of navigation/survey activity, while the other displays software linked to the DataLog™ system and allows the archaeologist to record personal observations tied directly to recorded events. In addition, there is a ship wide intercom communi-cation system to link the archaeologist directly to the ROV pilots, the surveyor/navigator, the data loggers, the offi-cers on watch, and the ROV deck crew. During all opera-tions involving excavation, documentation, or any other potential disturbance of the wreck or its environment, the archaeologist supervises all ROV tasks. Also in this room are a printer and a large format plotter for producing site photomosaics, a dedicated graphics computer, and a curator’s computer where all the images, logs and other artifact records are stored. There is also a large map ta-ble with drawing equipment for producing site plans and artifact illustration. On the upper deck is another dedicated room for all archaeological and conservation work. This is known as the archaeology van or “Arc Van.” This secured area contains a stainless steel table for sorting and measuring artifacts, three stainless steel sinks and a fresh water sprayer for rins-ing artifacts and preparing storage solutions. A desk serves as a work station for recording data with the artifact inven-tory database program and making sketches. Two lockable cabinets hold conservation tools and supplies in one and office supplies in the other. The remaining area is taken up with shelf space for short-term storage of artifacts until they can be shipped to Odyssey’s mainland conservation labora-tory. On the forward section of the upper deck is a large securable room for overflow artifact and conservation sup-ply storage. When artifacts are recovered, a member of the archaeo-logical team will double-check each artifact against the log sheets from their numbered containers to be sure that ev-erything picked up on the seabed made it to the surface. The artifacts are then evaluated for the short-term “first-aid” conservation measures needed for their preservation

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until they can be sent to a land-based laboratory. After a fresh water wash, each artifact is labeled with its unique artifact number, basic measurements, descriptions, and the details are recorded on an artifact finds sheet. This system allows documentation of the following topics and the ability to print reports about the “history” of all artifacts from the moment they are identified on the seabed. At present, there is access to six different “views” on the documentation of artifacts.

• Artifact Lists• Storage Logs• Shipping Logs• Finds Sheet Form• Quick List Report• Finds Sheet Report

Another dedicated secure area aboard the ship is the Coin Room. All artifacts recovered are photographed either in the Coin Room where there is a designated area with a photo-stand or in the “Arc Van”. Artifacts are brought in their storage containers and only removed for the amount of time necessary to obtain digital photographs of each. Care is taken during the process to ensure that none dry out or are damaged by the handling required for their docu-mentation. The archaeologist maintains a photo log of all shots taken and the information derived from this log is then added to the records in the database. All archaeological records and documentation apply current ‘best practice’ international archaeological stan-dards, and all records and data are preserved in a curated archive for further evaluation and use.

Shipboard First-Aid ConservationArtifact conservation is an integral part of all archaeologi-cal excavations and as such a conservation plan, to handle objects of a wide range of sizes and conditions, must be in place before any artifacts are recovered. The overall goal of the planned conservation activities is to reveal and preserve the true nature of the artifacts and to provide documen-tation in an efficient and safe working environment that adheres to current professional conservation standards. The project conservator, in consultation with the shipboard ar-chaeologists, determines which procedures and materials to utilize for each class of artifact or each artifact when ap-propriate, so that:

• the true nature of the object is revealed and preserved; • the best available standard of treatment is utilized;• the treatment utilized is suitable to the preservation of

the object;

• an adequate examination is made of the object and all available documentation prior to treatment, and a re-cord is maintained of all materials and processes em-ployed in the conservation of the object;

• and restoration does not conceal the true nature of the object and is compatible with its future welfare.

First-aid conservation, performed by the project archaeolo-gist and conservator, is given to the artifacts immediately upon arrival on deck. This consists of maintaining the arti-fact stability by storing finds in suitable solutions (based on the composition of the artifact) at a stable, cool tempera-ture away from direct sunlight. After first-aid conservation and documentation, arti-facts are placed in suitable numbered storage containers in an appropriate medium according to their composition and condition. A unique identification number is placed on each artifact container and is logged in the master database. Objects of dissimilar types are not stored to-gether. Some may be stored dry, others in fresh water or salt water, and certain metal artifacts will be placed in a buffering solution of sodium sesquicarbonate. Outside ex-perts in specific conservation specialties may be consulted as necessary. The containers are kept in the “Arc Van” and monitored until they are handed over to the land based conservator. A comprehensive inventory is also maintained at Odyssey’s offices, tracking all movement and handling of artifacts. Artifacts are transported to a land-based con-servation laboratory during port calls.

Operational Project LeadershipReceiver’s Representatives • Craig T. Mullen – director of operations • Robert Evans – chief scientist/historian

Craig Mullen has been a pioneer in undersea exploration for over five decades. Following three tours with the US Navy directing mixed gas diving, salvage and deep-ocean recovery operations around the globe and a period direct-ing commercial diving operations; he was selected as the Vice President of Operations for Alcoa Marine (a subsid-iary of the Aluminum Company of America) where he directed the operations of the RV ALCOA SEAPROBE, the world’s first all-aluminum, drill-ship configured search and recovery system, capable of locating and recovering ob-jects from up to 18,000 feet beneath the ocean. Acquiring Alcoa’s interest in the company in 1980 and forming East-port International, Craig was at the forefront in the cre-ation of robotic work systems that now routinely perform work in the great depths of the world’s oceans.

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Mr. Mullen directed some of the most complex ocean search and recovery operations including the recovery of the Space Shuttle Challenger, Korean Airline 007, crash of Air India, South African Airways, TWA 800 and numer-ous deep water shipwrecks. Craig pioneered a series of un-dersea cable maintenance ROV’s that performed complex work tasks on undersea cable systems. In 1993 he negotiated the acquisition of Eastport by Oceaneering International, a public company specializing in oil field services. He was instrumental in integrating all Oceaneering’s non-oil and gas business units into one um-brella group, the Advanced Technology Group. Remaining through the integration period he led the subsidiary to be-come an $80M technology driven component of Ocean-eering’s Business. Since 1998, Mullen has been the Chief Executive Of-ficer of Sconset Marine, Inc, a marine consulting company and since 2003 as co-founder and a managing director of the AURORA Trust Foundation which is an ocean explo-ration and education foundation. Bob Evans is a geologist by academic background, earning a Bachelor of Science degree from The Ohio State University in 1981. His professional experience includes projects and employment involving a broad range of scien-tific, historical and curatorial pusuits and studies. Mr. Evans was integral to the initial search, discovery, recovery, and marketing efforts for the SS Central America treasure that was recovered between 1988 and 1991. As the project’s chief scientist and historian, Mr. Evans became the Curator and developed techniques to safely remove the decades of mineral and rust deposits ob-scuring the surfaces of the coins and bars. An important numismatic time-capsule was revealed, and the thousands of high-grade mint-state double eagles from the treasure promoted the wider acceptance of responsible coin conser-vation in the numismatic community. As thousands of pris-tine specimens of Type I double eagles passed through his laboratory, Mr. Evans took the opportunity to document and published the many die varieties. His article “A Wealth of Double Eagle Die Varieties” appeared in The Numisma-tist magazine in 2000 and won the Wayte and Olga Ray-mond Literary Award for that year. The treasure also contained 532 gold ingots (bars) manufactured by gold-rush California assayers. Assay-ers took the raw gold dust and nuggets from depositors, melted and poured the gold into ingot form, determined the purity, and stamped the ingots with the appropriate in-formation, producing the initial monetary form for almost all gold mined in California during the Gold Rush era. Using the SS Central America ingots as a standard, Mr.

Evans and fellow geologists Fred Holabird and David Fitch researched and wrote the 2003 The Numismatist article, “Western Precious Metal Ingots: the Good, the Bad, and the Ugly,” an article for which they also received the Ray-mond Literary Award. In 2009 The American Numismatic Association awarded the First Prize Heath Literary Award to Mr. Evans for his article, “The SS Central America Treasure: Lessons From The Past: which was published in the April 2008 issue of The Numismatist. Mr. Evans has traveled widely as the Curator and he has appeared on many television programs, including The To-night Show with Johnny Carson, Regis and Kathie Lee, and The Today Show, as well as multiple programs on the His-tory Channel and The Discovery Channel. He has taught twice about shipwreck treasures at the American Numis-matic Association’s Summer Seminars, and his educational programs at numerous numismatic and non-numismatic conventions have been warmly received and widely praised.

Odyssey Marine Exploration Marine Operations Management • Roy Truman – senior vice president and director of marine operations• Andrew Craig – senior project manager• Ernie Tapanes – senior project manager• Neil Cunningham Dobson – principal marine archaeologist• Frederick Van de Walle – conservation director

Roy Truman joined Odyssey in 2003 as Director of Marine Operations with nearly 40 years of experience in the off shore industry. He is responsible for the research vessel logistics management and acquisition of state-of-the-art deep-ocean technology and equipment. Mr. Tru-man has extensive knowledge in the operations of vessels and equipment necessary for search and recovery opera-tions in the deep ocean using Remotely Operated Vehicle (ROV) technology. Prior to joining Odyssey, Mr. Truman was the Program Manager for the US Navy Supervisor of Salvage conduct-ing dozens of deep water salvage operations for the recovery of weapons and aircraft for the US military including the salvage of the space shuttle Challenger solid rocket boosters and other critical components. Operating with the USN he managed recovery operations on two major commer-cial aircraft disaster investigations: Air India in the North Atlantic and South African Airways in the Indian Ocean at water depths of 2000 meters and 5000 meters respec-tively. Mr. Truman has also worked for General Dynamics

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on classified programs as well as heading the conversion of four vessels to submarine cable layers for the commercial telecommunications industry. Mr. Truman has an ONC Diploma in Mining Electri-cal Engineering from Hebburn College, UK. He has also earned an Advanced Diploma in Marine Electrical Engi-neering from South Shields Marine & Technical College, UK, and a Diploma in Telecommunications Transmission from the Royal College of Bermuda. Andrew Craig and Ernie Tapanes direct operations aboard Odyssey’s exploration vessels as Senior Project Managers, leading an experienced team of ROV pilots and technicians, navigators/surveyors, data loggers/data man-agers, and the scientific team. Both have been with Odyssey for more than a decade and have been integral on all of Odyssey’s major shipwreck finds. Among their more famous projects, Mr. Tapanes led the team that discovered the SS Republic in 2003. The Civil War-era steamship was discovered 1700 feet deep and Tap-anes also served as a project manager during the archaeo-logical excavation which recovered 51,000 gold and silver coins and 14,000 artifacts. Mr. Craig was a supervisor on the Republic operations. Most recently, Mr. Craig led the Odyssey team during the 2011-2013 SS Gairsoppa project, which has resulted in the heaviest and deepest recovery of precious metals from a shipwreck site in history, recovering 110 tons of silver from a shipwreck 15,000 feet deep. Both Craig and Tapanes served as Senior Project Managers on the Gairsoppa project. Prior to joining Odyssey, Mr. Craig was the Op-erations Manager for Sub-Surface Engineering, where he mobilized and executed hydrographic and topo-graphic surveys, diving operations, and ROV inspections. He has also worked as a commercial and recreational dive instructor. Mr. Craig has a Bachelor of Sciences, with honors, in Underwater Studies with Hydrography from Plymouth University. Mr. Craig has also earned a Higher National Certificate in Mechanical Engineering from Lackham College. Prior to joining Odyssey, Mr. Tapanes was the Presi-dent for ADC International, where he managed the com-pany’s underwater survey operations, which included an exclusive deep-ocean license in Cuba. His team was responsible for locating the remains of the wreck USS Maine, a 19th-century American warship lost in Cuban waters, as well as other valuable, historical wreck sites in Cuba. Mr. Tapanes has also owned and operated two sepa-rate companies, Starboard Yacht Sales and Services, Inc., a leading Florida yacht and ship brokerage, and SEA Inc.

and JET Computers, a computer wholesale business and retail subsidiary. Mr. Tapanes has a Bachelor of Computer Sciences from Carleton University, Ontario, Canada. Neil Cunningham Dobson is Odyssey’s Principal Ma-rine Archaeologist. He has more experience viewing ship-wreck sites through Remotely Operated Vehicle (ROV) cameras than any other archaeologist in the world. Mr. Dobson brings over 40 years of experience in the marine industry and impressive skills in planning and implement-ing deep-ocean archaeological investigations to his role at Odyssey. He is one of only very few archaeologists in the world who have successfully conducted archaeology in deep-water. Mr. Dobson has worked with Odyssey on scores of shipwreck sites and supervised archaeological work on many of the company’s high profile projects, including the SS Republic, HMS Victory and SS Gairsoppa projects. He has also been involved with other major projects in the Mediterranean and Atlantic. Mr. Dobson researches Odyssey’s archaeological finds around the globe and writes archaeological reports, papers and other publications based on the company’s discoveries. His publications include a series of research papers featured in the company’s archaeological volumes Oceans Odyssey (2010, 2011, 2012 and upcoming). Mr. Dobson has also presented lectures and presentations at various archaeological conferences and museums around the world. Mr. Dobson graduated from St. Andrews University with a Master’s in Marine Archaeology. He is also a fre-quent guest lecturer for marine and academic groups and organizations. In addition, he has written several papers on marine archaeology. Frederick Van de Walle, has been leading Odyssey’s conservation team since February 2007. His main respon-sibilities include the stabilization and conservation of ar-tifacts excavated by Odyssey and the safeguarding of the Odyssey Permanent Collection. Mr. Van de Walle is also an integral part of the Odyssey’s publication team that pro-duces Odyssey’s Papers and the Oceans Odyssey series. Prior to joining Odyssey Mr. Van de Walle worked as Head of Conservation for the Belgian government, AOC Archaeology Group in Scotland and INA in Turkey. He started a private conservation practice, Embrace Heritage Consulting in 2006. Mr. Van de Walle received a Masters Degree in Con-servation and Restoration from Hogeschool Antwerpen, Belgium and a BSc. in Marine Archaeological Conserva-tion from EVTEK University, Finland.

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Reconnaissance Dive April 15, 2014During the Odyssey Explorer’s transit from the United King-dom to Charleston, SC, to mobilize for the project, a 2 hour and 10 minute reconnaissance dive was conducted at the SS Central America site. The purpose of the dive was to assess the current state of the shipwreck, determine if the site had been disturbed or salvaged since 1991, and to re-cover a small number of distinct artifacts that the court-ap-pointed Receiver for RLP could use to arrest the shipwreck in the U.S. District Court, Eastern District of Virginia in order to assure RLP’s continued salvage rights if that court were to determine the original salvage had been abandoned. The Receiver’s representatives, Craig Mullen (director of operations) and Bob Evans (chief scientist/historian), boarded the Odyssey Explorer in Bermuda in order to rep-resent the Receiver, observe the reconnaissance dive, and

direct the items to be recovered from the Central America shipwreck site, while the ship completed its final leg of the transit to Charleston. Photographs and video from the 1991 operation, provided by the Receiver allowed com-parison of the site features to determine if there had been any changes. Odyssey’s Remotely Operated Vehicle (ROV) ZEUS was deployed from the ship and approached the site from the stern where the commercial cargo had previously been recovered. A piece of wood was recovered as the ROV began a visual inspection moving forward along the star-board side of the shipwreck and across the shipwreck near the anchor windlass. A bottle and a piece of pottery were recovered in this area, and their positions noted. Previous science experiments were also seen on the site and an element of one of these experiments was recovered as well. As the ROV traveled down the port side of the ship-wreck, back toward the stern, gold items that had been previous placed in plastic trays during 1990 or 1991 sal-vage operations were observed and at the request of the Receiver’s representatives, two such trays were recovered which contained five gold bars and gold specie. The Odyssey Explorer arrived in port at Charleston late in the day on April 16, 2014, and cleared U.S. Customs and Immigration. On April 17, the five gold ingots, a coin, wood specimen, bottle, ironstone crock, and science ex-periment were transferred to Ira Owen Kane, Receiver for RLP, to submit to the U.S. District Court, Eastern District of Virginia as part of a new arrest. These artifacts were de-livered to the U.S. Marshal on April 18, 2014. An addi-tional coin was wedged under protective matting and de-bris in one of the plastic trays and a small amount of gold dust extracted from seafloor sediments were also delivered to the U.S. Marshal on April 22, 2014, after a final clean-ing of sediment and inspection of the recovery trays.

In situ location of the bottle and pottery recovered during reconnaissance dive.

ROV ZEUS using its silicone limpet to delicately recover a bottle.

Plastic trays on the seafloor with gold.

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Site SurveyOn the evening of April 23, 2014, the Odyssey Explorer left port in Charleston and transited to a test site to calibrate elements of the acoustic positioning system known as the USBL (Ultra-Short Baseline) system. The USBL system is a short-range acoustic positioning system that tracks the relative positions of the ship and the ROV. This system is used to track the position of the ROV while it is in the water column descending or ascending as well as during deployments and recoveries until the seafloor-based LBL (Long Baseline) acoustic positioning system takes over po-sitioning the ROV while it is on or close to the sea floor. Calibration of this system was completed on April 24. Upon arrival at the SS Central America site, data was collected for low-resolution background bathymetry of the general area where the shipwreck is located using the vessel mounted multibeam sonar. Six Compatts (advanced high-frequency acoustic sea-floor beacons) for the LBL system were then deployed by the ROV to the seafloor in precisely measured locations on the outer edges of the work area. The LBL system is used to provide accurate locational data of the ROV on the shipwreck site, which in turn al-lows precise x, y, and z coordinates to be calculated for each

ROV-mounted 7125 multibeam image of the bow of the shipwreck.

ROV-mounted 7125 multibeam image of the stern of the shipwreck.

Six Compatts placed on the seafloor at the shipwreck site.

Placing Compatt stand at western most array point.

The launch of the six Compatts to the ocean floor from the vessel.

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artifact recovered and photographic image captured. The system includes a transceiver, which is mounted under the Odyssey Explorer and transponders or responders on the sea-floor and the ROV. An acoustic pulse is transmitted by the transceiver and detected by the subsea transponders, each of which replies with its own acoustic pulse. These return pulses are detected by the shipboard transceiver. The time from the transmission of the initial acoustic pulse until a reply is detected is measured by the LBL system and is con-verted into a range and bearing. A computer on the ship is used to calculate the position from the ranges and bearings measured by the transceiver and this is integrated into Od-yssey’s proprietary DataLog system.

After positioning of the Compatts and calibration of the system, the main multibeam data set was collected from the ROV-mounted multibeam system. This data set is a high-resolution, 10 centimeter grid geo-referenced digital terrain model collected with the ROV flying 8-10 meters above the bottom/wreck-site. The data was collected in an area roughly 300m x 300m around the wreck site and the associated shipwreck sites. The ROV was then reconfigured to perform a high-resolution photomosaic survey of the shipwreck site. Dur-ing the survey of the main wreck site, and the debris fields surrounding the wreck site, more than 12,500 digital im-ages were captured for the photomosaic. This imaging was completed on May 7, 2014, and processing of the full pho-tomosaic is ongoing. Processing of this huge geo-spatially accurate set of images is a complex task, which requires hundreds of man hours and massive computing power. Consequently, the high-resolution photographs (large files) comprising the full photomosaic will not be available until the ship makes its scheduled port call and is able to transfer data off the ship via hard drive. Additional photomosaic imagery will be available in the next report.

Commencement of Recovery ActivitiesInitial recovery activities have been confined to items clearly visible on the debris field that did not require ex-cavation. Six of the remaining plastic trays observed at the wreck site during the initial reconnaissance dive contained gold and were recovered. The trays contained 14 gold bars and 147 gold coins. In addition, there were three piles of coins observed lying on the surface outside the shipwreck hull during analysis of the pre-disturbance photographs

Small section of the photomosaic that shows the ship’s rudder.

One of the SS Central America’s paddlewheels

The ROV being configured to capture images for the photomosaic.

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taken by the ROV. The coins and artifacts in these piles were recovered. Before recovery of the third pile of coins a TSS ar-ray, using pulse induction technology, was mounted on the ROV for further site analysis. Pulse induction technology allows detection of metals hidden under the sediment. The TSS array was tested over the area of coins to calibrate the signature readings for a known quantity of gold at that particular location. This calibration was necessary for use of the system to determine where buried valuable deposits might lie during the course of future operations. During TSS testing, the array was tested on a number of objects on the seafloor including several leather steamer trunks. During these investigations a large iron box was plotted in the debris field approximately 25 meters from the port paddlewheel. This box, originally meant to stand on four short feet, was now lying on its side in the debris field. Upon further investigation it was determined to be a safe by the archaeological team. The door, having suffered nearly 157 years of immersion in seawater, was opened by a tool deployed in the ROV’s manipulator. The safe was ultimately determined to contain several packages that were removed and recovered directly by the ROV. Two of the small packets appeared to be filled with paper, tied with red-sealed twine. These have been placed in secure first-aid conservation until they can be opened and studied in a proper conservation laboratory ashore. There were several other items discovered in this box, including two cotton garments wrapped tightly around coins and/or nuggets and gold dust. One of the garments, meant to be worn around a person’s waist and tied in front with cotton “suspenders” worn over the shoulders, had two pouches attached to it.

One of the piles of coins lying on the surface outside the shipwreck hull.

ZEUS’ HD camera is capable of zooming in close enough to small objects, such as coins, so that the crew aboard the ship can decipher details such as dates and mints.

A two-pouch leather saddlebag recovered from the safe located on the Central America debris field.

Decorative gold chain which may have been a watch fob recovered from the SS Central America site.

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One of the pouches came open at one end and was observed to contain coins – gold double eagles totaling 134 coins. These were carefully removed, inventoried, and stowed in plastic coin containers and were secured in the coin room safe aboard the ship. The garment was stored in a temporary water-filled container for later conservation and analysis. The second garment was a sleeveless cotton vest with buttons in the front. It was determined to have multiple gold dust pockets sewn into it. This garment, along with its associated gold, was documented, photographed and placed in secure first-aid conservation until it can be trans-ported to an appropriately equipped laboratory ashore to be fully opened, the contents inspected and conserved. In addition to the two garments, a two-pouch leather saddlebag was also discovered in the safe. It contained a total of five textile bags in the two pouches. It is believed these contain gold dust and nuggets as one of the small bags opened slightly at one end and nuggets were ob-served. These bags were also inventoried and placed into secure first-aid conservation until they can be assessed in a proper land-based conservation facility. Two remaining bags were recovered from the safe. One bag included 25¢ and 50¢ silver coins. The larger of the two bags, also contained a small, twine-secured pack-et holding small denomination gold coins totaling $400 (comprised of $5, $3, $2.50 and $1) as well as a large quantity of dimes. These were also carefully removed, in-ventoried, and stowed in plastic coin containers and were secured in the coin room safe aboard the ship. The final onsite effort was to re-run the visual inspec-tion lines at a lower altitude in order to inspect surface targets to ensure all visible objects were well documented.

Overview of Coin RecoveryThe key to the safe recovery of shipwreck coins is the use of a specialized proprietary “coin preservation gel” first used by Odyssey during the recovery of 51,000 coins from the SS Republic shipwreck in 2003. The gel itself is safe, non-chemically reactive, water-soluble and biodegradable. It is heavier than water and viscous, so it does not mix with nor dissolve in the sur-rounding seawater unless physically agitated. The gel is clear and has a viscosity like heavy syrup. Objects that are dropped into it settle slowly to the bottom of the chamber, and there is a cushioning effect provided by the gel. This is a proven, safe way to collect coins and other small artifacts without damaging them. Typically, for coin recovery the sequence proceeds as follows. The lid for a chamber holding a particular

container, port or starboard, is rotated open allowing access to the container full of gel within. Then a coin is picked up by the limpet device, brought to a position over the open coin container, and dropped into the gel. Cam-eras record the whole process and the coin can be seen set-tling into the gel. When a deposit of coins is finished, and all of the op-erations for a particular seabed location concluded, the lid to the coin container chamber is rotated shut for transport to the surface without agitating the gel or contents within. Multiple coin containers and chambers allow the opera-tion to address each deposit separately.

Shipboard Processing and SecurityOnce the ROV arrives at the surface, cameras record each step of the processing of artifacts until they are securely stored in the ship’s safes in the coin room, a laboratory set up for this dedicated purpose. There are cameras po-sitioned to record the removal of the coin containers and drawer contents from the ROV, to record the crew carry-ing these objects through the corridors to the coin room, and to record the activities during processing and catalog-ing within the coin room. The digital video record of this process is kept stored on a computer hard drive and it is accessible to upper management of RLP or Odyssey. The coin room is the central laboratory for the initial processing of all recovered precious metal artifacts. At all times when valuables are within the coin room and out-side the safes there are at least two people present and the activities within the coin room are part of the digital video record described above. All recovered manufactured precious metal items, coins, bars and jewelry items, receive artifact numbers, and they are measured and photographed. This data is then en-tered into a database. Nuggets and gold dust are gathered and labeled according to dive or location, given a collec-tive artifact number, and processed for the database. Pre-cise weights are impossible to determine at sea on a moving ship, but this data will be determined once the artifacts are brought ashore to a proper conservation laboratory. The processing of small particles of gold dust takes place in the archaeology lab. This too is monitored under video surveillance and recording for part of the video record de-scribed above. All cultural heritage artifacts are processed, docu-mented and given first-aid conservation according to the Archaeological Documentation and Conservation proce-dures discussed earlier in this report.

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Overview of Items Recovered April 15 – May 13, 2014Exhibit A: Complete Inventory)

April 15, 2014: Reconnaissance Dive

Number Item 5 Gold Ingots 2 $20 Double Eagle Gold Coins 1 Bottle 1 Ironstone Crock 1 Wood Specimen 1 Science Experiment (circa 1991) 1 Gold dust from seafloor sediment

(minor amount) Total gold weight approx 969 ounces

May 8 – May 13, 2014: Recovery Activities

Number Item 14 Gold Ingots

412 $20 Double Eagle Gold Coins 24 $10 Eagle Gold Coins

127 $ 5 Gold Coins 21 $ 3 Gold Coins

145 $ 2.50 Gold Coins 103 $ 1 Gold Coins

9 Cal Fractional Gold 16 Foreign Gold Coin 11 Silver Coin

8931 $0.10 Silver Coin 504 $0.25 Silver Coin 345 $0.50 Silver Coin 26 Gold Jewelry 4 Packets of Gold Dust/Nuggets 1 Pair Cotton Pants 1 Cotton Bag 1 Saddle Bag 2 Sealed Paper Parcels 1 White Ceramic Button 1 White Ceramic Pipe Bowl 1 Small Wooden Brush 1 Cotton Dime Bag 2 Cotton Coin Bags Total gold weight

approx 3,835 ounces, Total silver weight approx 1,200 ounces

report #14-01 on activities at ss central america shipwreck site

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