River Float

To close out the first week events, MSA hosted a float down the Tar River. All were welcome to come and slowly drift down the Tar River. Over the afternoon, we relaxed and joked around before fully breaking into the semester. Thanks to Dr. Bradley Rodgers for towing us to our end point!

Welcome Aboard

After surviving the first week of school, MSA hosted the Welcome Aboard Party to welcome in the new first year students. This opportunity allowed the new students to meet those returning as well as professors; the Dean of the Graduate School, Dr. Paul Gemperline; and the conservators from the Queen Anne's Revenge Conservation Lab, Sarah Watkins-Kenney, Courtney Page, and Kimberly Kenyon. The party provided the opportunity to relax from the first week of school and a fun and inviting environment to make useful contacts and discuss potential work. Thanks to everyone at Eller, Emily Schwalbe, and Elise Carroll for hosting us!

Costa Rica Field School

For the past month, our first year students along with their professors, Dr. Lynn Harris and Dr. Nathan Richards, and crew chiefs Jeremy Borrelli, Hannah Piner, and Melissa Price participated in summer field school in Costa Rica. The team was there to document two wreck sites in Cahuita National Park, Cahuita, Costa Rica. One site was made up a 13 different cannon and two anchors, which were all mapped into place. The other site was a brick pile that stretched about 50 meters and two cannon. These ships may be two Danish slave ships burned and wrecked by the crew who missed their target location in the Caribbean Islands. A third site was mapped and examined in Puerto Viejo, El Lanchon. This site represents a barge used in constructing the Panama Canal and was left in Costa Rica following its use.
Besides documenting the sites, the students photographed maritime art work throughout Cahuita and Puerto Viejo to see how maritime society infiltrates societal values and lifestyle. They also had the opportunity to document small boats, in particular the unique fishing boats of the community, including the boats used for diving.
To finish the project, students and crew chiefs presented the findings of the project to the community and to students at a local high school. They also wrote up a report upon returning to the States.
Read more about the project at the project's blog: http://blog.ecu.edu/sites/hist5530/, and look forward to a session at SHA in Washington DC this year focusing on our adventures in Costa Rica.

The students would like to thank the professors and crew chiefs for putting up with us and teaching us about the numerous steps to completing a full project. We would also like to thanks Jason Nunn for accompanying us as our DSO.

Brick site

Cannon site

El Lanchon

Local Maritime artwork

Students working hard mapping the brick site

Scientific Diving and Field School Prep

Over the last few weeks since the semester ended, our members have been participating and leading training exercises in scientific diving to help the first years finish their check out dives and get ready for the field season in Costa Rica. We conducted the scientific diving check out dives at Fantasy Lake, a quarry northeast of Raleigh, along with two wreck sites, Indra and USS Pickett. Through these dives, our first years learned search and navigation techniques as well as finished training for dry suit, full face mask, and nitrox.

These dives led up to our first years preparing for field school this summer in Costa Rica. Through the past week, the field schoolers along with our crew chiefs-Hannah Piner, Melissa Price, and Jeremy Borelli-participated in lectures, hands-on learning activities, and snorkeling practice to prepare for the numerous tasks that field school will hold. More stories and pictures about field school will come as the project wraps up in a few weeks. If you would like to follow in the meantime, please follow the Costa Rica Field School blog at http://blog.ecu.edu/sites/hist5530/. Wish us luck as our members and students embark on a unique experience into Costa Rica.

Craw-fish Boil...Yum!!

On Saturday, MSA hosted their first craw-fish boil. Taking place as the semester is ending, the gathering allowed current students and facility along with alumni to come together, enjoy the spring weather, and eat tons of craw-fish. The craw-fish were accompanied by other delectable Cajun fare to help fuel our students for their final exams. The event also marked the end of this years activities hosted by MSA.

We would like to give our thanks to the McKinnons, who graciously welcomed us to their home to eat as well as providing the equipment and space to cook such great food. We would also like to thank Katie Clevenger and Nathan King for taking the time to plan and orchestrate the event (well mainly the cooking). Thanks for coming out!!

Black Out Course

This past weekend our first years went through the black out course, an annual tradition of training for black water dives. Each diver had to make there way through the pool in a blacked out mask. With the guidance of the older students, along with Mark and Jason, our DSO, each newbie made it through. Following the day of diving, the group got together to reminisce about the days experiences and about others experiences in the course. Now it's on to open water training, and field school in Costa Rica.

Thanks to Mark and Jason, along with the guardian angel divers, for making sure our first years are trained for the future.

Photogrammetry Workshop

To close out the workshops hosted by MSA this school year, Mateusz Polakowski taught a group of eager students about photogrammetry and 3D computer imaging. Matt took time out of his busy schedule to show how to construct a 3D image from photographs overlaid on one another in 123D. This program not only allows for measurements to be taken from the images, but also to provide an interactive image for public outreach.

Thanks Matt for all your help!