Maritime Heritage

Maritime Heritage Expeditions in Papahānaumokuākea

The first systematic survey of maritime heritage resources in the Northwestern Hawaiian Islands began with a small team in 2002. Another expedition occurred in 2003 at Kure and Midway Atolls. The NOAA vessel Hiʻialakai was commissioned in 2004 and, beginning in 2005, maritime heritage expeditions have occurred annually on the 224-foot research vessel perfectly fit for diving and field work in the remote atolls of the Northwestern Hawaiian Islands. Teams utilize small jet boats launched from the larger vessel to get to their worksites and conduct work alongside several other teams of scientists conducting multidisciplinary research. Annual expeditions span 25-30 days at sea and visit several different atolls each trip depending on the priorities of the researchers on board.