Maritime Heritage PDF Fall 2011

National Marine Sanctuaries National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Fall 2011 Featured: Maritime Heritage Sanctuary Voices: Understanding Our Past, Navigating the Future Callum Robe...

National Marine Sanctuaries National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Fall 2011 Featured: Maritime Heritage Sanctuary Voices: Understanding Our Past, Navigating the Future Callum Roberts Author of The Unnatural History of the Sea Page 13  In this Issue DIRECTOR’SLETTER W hy should we care about maritime heritage? Because our discovery of the past will help us chart our common future. The world as we know it today, from the global economy to the state of the ocean’s ecosys- tem, has its roots in our past. Our past is responsible for everything from our current technologies to the blending of unique cultures worldwide. The stories of our maritime heritage, which I call “bridging the sea,” encompass the Maritime Heritage recent centuries’ greatest mass migrations of human populations in history; a world connected that created global commerce and drove the industrialization that changed 2 Cultural Landscapes the face of human cultures everywhere; a planet’s ocean that has been exploited to fuel the explosion of human populations; and a changing climate causing all of us to 4 Maritime Migrations ponder an uncertain future. The forces of change that bridged the sea still drive our 6 The Global Maritime Economy world today, perhaps at an ever-increasing rate. 8 Sapelo Island The full consequences of migration across the ocean and the exploitation of its 9 Star of the Sea: resources could not be perceived during a time when human populations were smaller, James P. Delgado and the world seemed limitless and inexhaustible. The signs and signals could not be 10 Maritime Heritage Stories read or extrapolated. Today, however, we are more cognizant of “failing to adjust” as 12 Project Shiphunt our actions change the world around us. Consequently, rediscovering our past through the lens of our shared maritime heritage can allow us to see how we may better navi- 13 Sanctuary Voices: gate these same — or similar — situations and challenges in the future. Callum Roberts 14 Sanctuary Snapshot In this issue, we celebrate the nation’s maritime heritage and shed light on how NOAA’s National Marine Sanctuary System works to share the stories of our past, to challenge us to better understand the world around us, and to protect our communi- The Office of National Marine Sanctuaries is part of NOAA’s National Ocean Service. 1305 East-West Highway, Silver Spring MD ties and our culture for tomorrow. 20910 | Phone: 301-713-3125 | Web: http://sanctuaries.noaa.gov SANCTUARY WATCH is a publication of the Communications, Out- reach and Education Division of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Sincerely, Administration’s (NOAA) Office of National Marine Sanctuaries. NOAA is an agency of the U.S. Department of Commerce. Cover Photo: Green Street Wharf, San Francisco; Courtesy J. Porter Shaw Library, San Francisco Maritime National Historical Park Daniel J. Basta, Director How to Subscribe: To subscribe to Sanctuary Watch electronically, Office of National Marine Sanctuaries please send an e-mail to [email protected] and put the following in the e-mail subject line: subscribe sanctuarywatch DIVISION chief............... Michiko Martin N at i on a l M a r i n e S a n c t ua ry S y s t e m editor............................ Matt Dozier Olympic Coast Thunder Bay Design/Layout............. Matt McIntosh Cordell Bank Stellwagen Bank Copy editor.................. Matt Dozier Gulf of the Farallones Monitor contributors Papahānaumokuākea Gray’s Reef Brenda Altmeier John Jensen Hawaiian Islands Humpback Whale Florida Keys Tirrea Billings Liz Love Monterey Bay Flower Garden Banks James Delgado Cathy Sakas Matt Dozier Robert Steelquist Channel Islands National Marine Sanctuary Jeff Gray Whitney Stohr Fagatele Bay, American Samoa (U.S.) Marine National Monument Proposed for sanctuary designation Rose Atoll Marine National Monument Scale varies in this perspective. Adapted from National Geographic Maps. Printed on Recycled Paper  NEWSSPLASH Students Discover Shipwrecks on ‘Project Shiphunt’ INNOVATIVE PARTNERSHIP INTRODUCES SAGINAW YOUTH TO OPPORTUNITIES IN MARITIME ARCHAEOLOGY Five high school students from Saginaw, Mich., experienced the adventure of a lifetime when they discovered two sunken ships during an innovative research expedition in Thunder Bay National Marine Sanctuary in May. “Project Shiphunt,” a groundbreaking science and technol- ogy education initiative sponsored by partners Sony and Intel, brought the students together with maritime historians and technical experts to locate and identify lost shipwrecks in the depths of Lake Huron. The participants studied historical re- cords, helped map out a plan for the expedition, and operated sophisticated equipment in their search. Their efforts, chronicled in a documentary released Aug. 30, revealed two previously un- discovered shipwrecks: the schooner M.F. Merrick and the steel freighter Etruria. Project Shiphunt involved NOAA staff from the Office of Na- tional Marine Sanctuaries, the Office of the Coast Survey and Photo: Justin Wilkes the Great Lakes Environmental Research Laboratory, as well as scientists from the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution. The project is a tremendous example of the power of partnerships and how science and technology education can open doors to The Project Shiphunt team poses on the deck of the NOAA research vessel Laurentian. Read new opportunities for our nation’s youth. Tirrea Billings’ (second from right) account of the expedition on page 12 of this issue. Enhancing Cultural Understanding through Marine Science NEW REPORT REVEALS ‘OCEAN FOR LIFE’ PROGRAMS CONNECT STUDENTS INTERNATIONALLY THREATS TO FLORIDA KEYS ECOSYSTEMS issues facing the ocean. Assisted by Nation- al Geographic photographers and American The 2011 Condition Report for Florida Keys Na- University film students, the Ocean for Life tional Marine Sanctuary is now available, providing participants took 54,000 photos and many a comprehensive look at the status and trends of the hours of video and developed five “youth sanctuary’s resources. The report, which was re- Photo: Jim Webb/National Geographic media projects” that will help them share leased in October, found that pressure from increas- their knowledge to promote ocean conser- ing coastal populations, ship and boat groundings, vation and cultural understanding. marine debris, poaching, and climate change are In October 2011, staff from the sanctu- critically threatening the health of the Florida Keys ary system also conducted several days of ecosystem. Ocean for Life marine science, ocean con- As part of an ongoing series examining each of servation and stewardship activities during the 14 sites in the National Marine Sanctuary Sys- a QFI student exchange in Qatar in the tem, the condition report goes beyond a basic as- Twenty-eight high school students from around Middle East. During this cultural exchange, students sessment of the current state of sanctuary resources. the globe traveled to Channel Islands National Marine from Chicago and Qatar conducted mangrove moni- It documents the relationship between people and Sanctuary in July for “Ocean for Life,” an educational toring, experienced snorkeling in the Arabian Gulf for the environment using a rigorous pressure-state- program that blends ocean science with cultural inter- the first time, and learned more about climate change response approach, highlighting the ways human action and discovery. and ocean acidification. activities have affected the ecosystem over time — Participants included youth from six countries in Ocean for Life is a partnership between NOAA’s and the impacts they are likely to have in the future. the Greater Middle East and 12 locations across North Office of National Marine Sanctuaries, the GLOBE See the back cover of this issue of Sanctuary America, including American Samoa and Canada. Program, SCUBAnauts International, and the Na- Watch for more about the work NOAA researchers Sanctuary staff hosted the students during their field tional Marine Sanctuary Foundation funded primarily are doing to understand and learn from the history of study introducing them to marine science activities and in 2011 by Qatar Foundation International (QFI). our interactions with the sea. Fall 2011 Sanctuary Watch 1 Viewing the Future through the Lens of Maritime Cultural Landscapes I n the scene below, artist J.W. Hill depicted the bustling harbor of Portland, Maine, captur- ing the commotion and complexity of waterfront life in 1853. From maritime commerce to shipbuilding, each element in Hill’s painting is individually significant, but their true importance lies in their relationship to one another and to the natural environment. These relationships are the hallmarks of maritime cultural landscapes. Cultural landscapes capture the living past that surrounds us and give worked and explored, from the driest parts of the Mojave Desert to us a better understanding of the links between the natural history and the deep submarine canyons of the North Atlantic. human history of a place. They illustrate how we have shaped the Many human elements make up maritime cultural landscapes. world, and how the world’s natural environments have shaped us. Per- Shipwrecks, lighthouses, abandoned docks, working waterfronts, haps most importantly, cultural landscapes can also provide us with tribal and indigenous dwellings or sacred places, trawl scours, lost valuable insights into the future, such as the relationship between the fishing gear, navigation lanes, and shell middens are a few of the health of natural resources and human wellbeing and prosperity. hundreds of potential human imprints on the landscape. Equally im- portant are natural features found in the geology, geography and Understanding Maritime Cultural Landscapes living resources of a place. While investigating cultural landscapes involves the combined Our coasts contain many famous, recognizable maritime land- study of history, archaeology, geography, oral traditions and other scape features. The magnificent lighthouse on Cape Hatteras, N.C., social and environmental sciences, understanding the concept is a for example, is a powerful element of the landscape. Within a cultural matter of common sense. landscape context, the lighthouse itself is important — not just as an At their most basic, cultural landscapes are specific places where example of engineering, but for the human meanings and environ- combinations of human activity and natural forces have left a discernable mental connections associated with it. When it was built, the Cape mark on the world. They are found everywhere people have lived, Hatteras lighthouse was a beacon of hope and safety for the mariners 2 Sanctuary Watch Fall 2011  Cultural landscapes illustrate how we have shaped the world, and how the world’s natural environments have shaped us. navigating the treacherous “Graveyard of the Atlantic.” What was restaurant owners and many others share a direct stake in the past, important to them was that the light could be seen far out to sea. and in the future promise of our coastal areas and oceans. Today, we value the same lighthouse for the architectural beauty Cultural landscapes are reservoirs of human experience that pre- and tourist dollars it contributes to the seashore. We built this light- serve undeniable examples of human triumph and loss. Retaining house to preserve lives in the past, and we have now spent millions the intangible as well as tangible parts of human culture, cultural of dollars preserving the lighthouse in order to enrich lives today. landscapes can do something that the natural sciences alone cannot. Across America, our historic lighthouses continue to do both, and They convey the human meaning of places — even after all physi- will likely do so for centuries to come. Cultural landscapes help us cal remnants and artifacts have been wiped away. For instance, the see the many different kinds of meaning we have given to our cul- site of the World Trade Center would retain historical and cultural tural and natural resources, as well as understand their importance meaning even if all recognizable traces of the events of 9/11 were in learning from the past while planning for the future. removed from Ground Zero. Such human memories and values cre- ate the cultural heritage of places. Cultural Landscape Lessons The lens of maritime cultural landscapes reveals the many hu- Analyzing cultural landscapes also provides an understanding man communities that overlap with marine environments such as of how technological, political or economic shifts can alter the our national marine sanctuaries. It provides room for different kinds health of ecosystems and the future of human communities. For of knowledge and meaning, and gives voice to all people with im- example, we see how the introduction of otter trawling and in- portant connections to our coasts and oceans. By studying maritime dustrial fish processing to Newfoundland transformed the natural cultural landscapes and exploring the links between our natural and habitats of cod and the livelihoods of cod fisherman, threatening cultural heritage, we provide the foundations for building a better the survival of both. future through understanding the wisdom — and learning from the Another facet of cultural landscapes reveals how indigenous tragedies and triumphs — of the past. or subsistence-based communities practiced the sustainable use of places and their resources, such as in the Hawaiian Islands and Authors American Samoa. Maritime cultural landscapes make human heri- tage visible and give a voice to all groups with connections to coast- John Odin Jensen, SEA Education Association al and ocean places, past and present. Tribal and indigenous cul- Roderick Mather, University of Rhode Island tures, fishing communities, wind power developers, surfers, seaside Jeff Gray, Thunder Bay National Marine Sanctuary Fall 2011 Sanctuary Watch 3  Bridging How Maritime Migrations Shaped T hroughout our history, the sea has been a highway for the greatest human migrations the world has ever known. People of all ages, ethnicities,beliefs and backgrounds have crossed oceans and followed coastlines in search of a better life, transform- ing the world with their voyages. Some sought relief from economic depression. Others fled religious persecution, political upheaval or war. But migrations have also been propelled by more than just human factors. Environmental changes like drought, famine and rising sea levels have caused untold millions to board ships and set sail for new opportunities, taking many plants and animals with them. America has been shaped by immigrants, the vast majority of whom arrived by the sea. From North America’s 1 First People Following retreating ice and a coastline that gradually submerged as the sea level rose at the end of the Ice Photo: Robert Schwemmer/NOAA Age, humans both on foot and in boats migrated from Asia’s Arctic shores into the Americas, spreading across the continent throughout what is now the United States and down to the tip of South America. Archaeologists also suspect that others similarly journeyed in boats from Europe, following the edge of the ice that covered much of the North Atlantic. Travel by boat was fast, and as some first peoples such as the Coast Salish of the Northwest Coast have said, “When the tide was out, the table was set” thanks to marine resources that could be harvested for food. This traditional Chumash tomol navigates the ancient routes its ancestors once plied along the California coast. Asia 2 Beginning in the mid-19th century, increasing numbers of Chinese and other Asians began to arrive in California in response to the Gold Rush. From there, they spread across the country, helping build the transconti- nental railroad that linked the great ports on the Pacific to the East Coast. The large steam- ers of the Pacific Mail Steamship Company brought thousands of people — mostly Courtesy of Stephen and Jeremy Potash men — from China and Japan in the 1870s, 1880s and 1890s. Those num- bers slowed to a trickle by the end of the century in response to anti- immigration laws, but would eventually rebound after World War II. This hand-colored woodblock print depicts Chinese immi- grants bound for San Francisco on the Pacific Mail steamer Alaska in 1876. They are eating and socializing as the ship’s captain makes a daily inspection. 3 Polynesian Voyagers Using traditional skills observing the patterns of the ocean and the stars, human beings spread out from Southeast Asia for thou- sands of years to populate the islands Photo: Na’alehu Anthony of Oceania. The navigators of ancient Oceania traveled the vast maritime cul- tural landscape of the Pacific with an incredibly sophisticated understand- ing of currents, prevailing winds, and remarkably resilient voyaging canoes in what is likely the most successful mass migration of humans by water in history. Today, a modern canoe, the Hōkūle’a, shown here, is part of a reviving tradition of traditional navigation and seafaring. 4 Sanctuary Watch Fall 2011 the Sea America — and the World By Matt Dozier & James P. Delgado earliest native inhabitants to the throngs of fortune-seekers lured to San Francisco by the Gold Rush, to the “huddled masses” arriving at Ellis Island from Europe, each group of new arrivals brought with them unique cultures and traditions that are reflected in America’s identity today. But people, plants and animals migrating over water is more than just an interesting footnote in history. Even today, immigrants arrive by ship in great numbers — both legally and illegally — seeking freedom, prosperity, or a new beginning. Under- standing the role of past maritime migrations provides insight into the forces of change at work today and will help us better prepare for adapting to an uncertain future. Great Lakes 4 The Great Lakes, like the inland waters of the great rivers, were a highway for American immigration. After ar- riving by ship in New York, Boston and other seaports, many immigrants took canal boats or trains to ports on Thunder Bay Research Collection the Lakes. They established communities like Chicago, Milwaukee, Cleveland and Alpena, to name a few, and from there spread out to numerous smaller towns and settlements in the heartland of America. It was by water that much of America was settled in the late 19th and early 20th century, and those same waterways also sup- ported the mining, farming and manufacturing economies that would allow these newly settled lands to flourish and prosper. The 131-foot steamer Celtic, shown here with its decks crowded with immigrants from Europe, operated between Montreal and Chicago in the late 1800s. Europe From the late 15th century and well into the 20th century, millions of Europeans left their homes and set out 5 across the Atlantic Ocean for the Americas, starting with the colonial endeavors that created colonies on the eastern seaboard and in the Caribbean, Mexico, and what is now Canada. Following the American Revolution, their numbers increased to a massive influx of people who ar- rived daily in immigrant ships under sail and steam power, fleeing oppression and persecution or seeking better opportunities. Between 1836 and 1914, Photo: Library of Congress more than 30 million people migrated by sea to America. In this 1890s engraving, German immigrants arriving in New York sail past an enduring part of the maritime cultural landscape: the Statue of Liberty, which was erected facing the sea to welcome incoming ships and people. Africa 6 One of the largest forced human migrations in history was the Atlantic Slave Trade, in which historians estimate that some 12 million Photo: Library of Congress enslaved Africans were forcibly taken from their homes and shipped in inhumane conditions to the Americas. Untold num- bers died after their capture or while being transported, while others were murdered by slavers or succumbed to disease or injury. Enslaved persons were shipped to Spanish, English and French America and Dutch colonies in the 16th, 17th and 18th centuries. The maritime transport of slaves was outlawed in the 19th century, but the practice of slavery remained, and so the slave trade con- tinued illegally. This 18th-century illustration of enslaved captives chained in the hold of a slave ship graphically illustrates the horrific conditions of this enforced migration. Fall Fall 2011 2011 Sanctuary Sanctuary Watch Watch 5 The Global Maritime Economy Shipwrecks: Time Capsules of Global Maritime Connections To see the global maritime connections evident in our nation’s history, one need look no further than a shipwreck named the General Harrison, which was excavated in 2001 from the heart of downtown San Francisco. Beached and moored in the mud in 1850 after its arrival from New York, the vessel served as a merchant’s warehouse and auction hall for goods that arrived by ship. In 1851, the General Harrison burned to the waterline and was covered by the water. It lay forgotten for 150 years as San Francisco built up over and around it, until it was swallowed by the expanding city. When archaeologists excavated the wreck in 2001, they found more than 50,000 arti- Photo: © Kevin Collins facts on board. Ale and stout from Scotland, wine from France, shoes from Boston, iron from Swe- den, hardware supplies from New York, beans and barley from Chile, beer from Philadelphia, cigars from Cuba — the diversity of the ship’s cargo was T astounding. This rediscovered “time capsule” illus- he global economy that we take for granted today — trates the pull of the California Gold Rush, and the global maritime that surrounds us and links nations and people all over trade that transformed San Francisco from a small frontier settlement the world — was created by ships. From the earliest into America’s busiest port on the Pacific Ocean. wooden sailing vessels to massive diesel-powered Other lost ships that speak to the importance of maritime com- tankers, ships have driven centuries of maritime com- merce include the nearly 200 wrecks that lie in Lake Huron in and merce and industry that continue to shape our world. around Thunder Bay National Marine Sanctuary. The Great Lakes Ships have moved people, ideas and goods throughout history, were and are one of the major economic trade routes of the United creating overseas colonies, building vast empires dependent upon States. Following the War of 1812, the lakes were opened to global sea trade and establishing some of the world’s greatest cities. Lon- maritime trade when the newly constructed Erie Canal linked them don, Amsterdam, Lisbon, New York, Mumbai, Sydney, Guangzhou, to New York and the Atlantic Ocean. San Francisco, Chicago, Panama City, Istanbul and Stockholm are Raw commodities including iron ore, lumber and coal were but a few of the ports where goods shipped by water were freely shipped by water to newly established port cities like Chicago, Min- exchanged by traders and merchants seeking spices, porcelain, silks, neapolis, Buffalo, Detroit, Saginaw and Alpena, where industry gold, tea, tobacco and many other commodities. boomed and immigrants flowed in on ships to build thriving com- Over the last 500 years, the expansion of Europeans by sea into munities. The Great Lakes were not a barrier: they were a high- Africa, the Americas, the Indian Ocean and the Pacific propelled way, and schooners and steamers plied those waters like semis and maritime commerce into a truly global market. Even today, the tractor-trailer rigs on the modern interstate. In the century between greatest force that unites the world’s markets is not the internet or 1830 and 1930, Great Lakes shipping ensured not only the growth air carriers but ships, which at the advent of the 21st century carry of the industrial heartland of America, but also linked those trades 90 percent of the world’s trade goods. and the commodities of the lakes to the rest of the world. 6 Sanctuary Watch Fall 2011  that sailed thousands of miles from home before sinking nearly 600 miles northwest of Honolulu, in the waters of what is today Papahānaumokuākea Marine National Monument. Grueling expeditions like this one extended American influence and economic interests around the globe, but they also drove many whale species to the brink of extinction and contributed to the collapse of the industry. Another factor, however, was perhaps even more sig- nificant in bringing about the death of large-scale whaling: the shift from whale oil to petroleum as the world’s main energy source. By James P. Delgado The World’s Economy: Forever Tied to the Sea As the switch from whale oil to petroleum demonstrates, the glob- This explosion of seafaring commerce left behind shipwrecks al maritime economy is constantly in flux. The types of commodities that now form part of the region’s maritime cultural landscape. being transported have changed over time, port cities and waterfronts These remnants of the “shipwreck century” remind us not only have grown to accommodate larger ships and new technologies, and of the vessels and the lives lost in the often treacherous waters of certain industries give way to others, all of which contribute to the ev- Lake Huron, but of shipping’s critical role in building and sustain- er-shifting maritime landscape. The types of ships have also evolved, ing America through maritime trade. The Great Lakes remain an from sail to steam to motor vessels, yet for all the changes, the mari- important maritime highway in the 21st century, with massive ships time landscape remains inexorably linked to trade and commerce. carrying in their holds on a single voyage what once would have The sea is not only the greatest museum of our maritime past and taken a fleet of schooners many trips to transport. the creation of the modern global economy, but the ongoing means by which that economy is sustained. Examining the evolution of Whaling: A Lost Link in the Global Economy global commerce through maritime landscapes helps us understand One global maritime industry how we can successfully manage future change along our coasts. in particular that shaped Amer- ica’s expansion, economy and culture has all but vanished. The whaling trade, which began in the Critter Files: 17th century after newly arrived immigrants learned from Native American whalers how to harvest Sperm Whale these behemoths, soon expanded Few creatures have inspired fear, greed and wan- quarry for years at a time. This tireless pursuit from New England’s shores to encompass the entire world. By derlust in the hearts of men quite like the massive spread America’s culture and economic power, the mid-19th century, New Bed- denizen of the deep known as the sperm whale. In- but it also killed off an estimated two-thirds of the ford, Mass., home of many whal- spiration for great works of literature like Melville’s global sperm whale population, which has slowly ers, became a famous and vital Moby-Dick and epic whaling voyages that circled begun to recover since large-scale whaling was link in the global economy be- the globe, these majestic animals fueled our lamps banned in 1980. cause its exports of whale oil for — and our imaginations — for more than two cen- lamps made it the “City that Lit turies. In the early 1700s, New England whalers Scientific name:................ Physeter macrocephalus the World.” The quest to feed America’s began hunting the sperm whale for its valuable Distribution:..................Open ocean; worldwide hunger for whale oil led whal- spermaceti, a waxy substance found in the whale’s Max. Length:..............................................60 feet Image: Library of Congress ers throughout the Atlantic, Pa- head that was used in everything from cosmetics Max. Weight:............................................. 45 tons cific and finally the Arctic. They to industrial lubricant. By the 1800s, the demand Diet:.....................................................Squid, fish slaughtered their prey by the for sperm oil was so great that whaling ships sailed Status:.............................................. Endangered thousands at each new hunting ground, decimating whale popu- thousands of miles across the ocean to hunt their lations and forcing subsequent whaling expeditions to travel far- ther and stay at sea for years at a time. We can see the reach of these epic voyages in shipwrecks like the Two Brothers, a 19th- century whaler from Nantucket Fall 2011 Sanctuary Watch 7  Photo: Vera Viditz-Ward From left to right: Hicks Walker weaving a cast net; Sam Gray collecting samples; Photo: UGAMI Miss Hattie Walker (left) with Cornelia Walker Bailey. Photo: Vera Viditz-Ward Photo: SICARS A History Preserved Living Maritime Culture on Sapelo Island By Cathy J. Sakas & Matt Dozier C icadas buzzed to a deafening crescendo as Hicks residents soon abandoned their nets and plows to seek new opportu- Walker stood on the porch of his modest green cabin, nities for employment and education on the mainland. the hot, humid air hanging over the tight-knit commu- In 1961, a biologist named Milton B. “Sam” Gray came to Sape- nity of Hog Hammock like Spanish moss draped on lo Island with the goal of studying the vibrant reefs off Georgia’s the branches of a live oak. The 6-foot-5-inch moun- coast. He hired George Walker, Hicks Walker’s nephew, to work on tain of a man held a length of strong cotton twine and a small wooden his research vessel. Aided by the Geechee man’s extensive knowl- weaving shuttle, its surface worn smooth from decades of use. edge of the local waters, Gray’s expedition discovered a treasure Methodically, Hicks tied one end of the twine to a tree branch and trove of marine life at what would become known as Gray’s Reef. began to knot tiny loops, one after another, at precise intervals along His research led Congress to designate the reef and surrounding wa- its length. His massive hands worked the shuttle back and forth with ters as Gray’s Reef National Marine Sanctuary in 1981. the nimble grace of a lifetime of practice, and the loops gradually The close ties between Sapelo Island and Gray’s Reef National resolved into the fine mesh of a flawlessly crafted cast net used to Marine Sanctuary that began 50 years ago with Gray and George catch mullet and shrimp. Walker’s partnership remain today. Sapelo is the closest land to The residents of Sapelo Island, a 25-square-mile barrier island Gray’s Reef, and part of the island is now managed by NOAA’s nestled along the Georgia coast, have been casting these hand-wo- Sapelo Island National Estuarine Research Reserve, which collabo- ven nets into the water since their ancestors arrived from Western rates with the sanctuary to understand and protect the marine eco- Africa as slaves nearly two centuries ago. Transported across the At- systems that island residents still rely on today. lantic in the early 1800s and forced to work the island’s plantations Sapelo Island may no longer be as isolated as it once was, but the of cotton, sugar cane and indigo, they brought with them a maritime maritime culture and traditions that have sustained its residents for culture — known as “Geechee” — that remains at the core of the generations are still present. Fishing remains a staple of the island island’s identity today. diet. Net making, basket weaving and other Geechee skills continue After the Civil War, many freed slaves bought land on Sapelo. to be practiced today, preserved and passed down by Hog Ham- They settled in communities with names like Hog Hammock and mock residents like Cornelia Walker Bailey, Hicks Walker’s young- Raccoon Bluff and supported themselves by fishing the coastal wa- est daughter and a best-selling author. Hicks, who passed away in ters and growing what they could on the island. Using traditional 2003, just shy of his 100th birthday, continued weaving his high- skills like net making and oyster farming — skills that dated back quality handmade cast nets until the year he died. to their ancestors an ocean away in Sierra Leone — these Geechee Maritime cultures like Sapelo Island’s are an integral part of our na- communities lived almost entirely isolated from the mainland for tion’s character, from the Georgia coast to the Great Lakes to the Ha- nearly two centuries. waiian Islands. The Office of National Marine Sanctuaries works to Things began to change in the 1960s, when mainstream attitudes preserve and celebrate these unique sets of traditions and knowledge, toward African-Americans grew more tolerant. As the world around recognizing that they are critical components of a better understand- Sapelo changed, so did the island’s culture. Many Hog Hammock ing of our relationship to the ocean — and to one another. 8 Sanctuary Watch Fall 2011  STARoftheSEA Maritime Heritage Director, Dr. James P. Delgado NOAA Office of National Marine Sanctuaries Maritime Heritage Director Dives into Our Seafaring Past In this issue, we sat down I also think that maritime heritage is pertinent and important for us with Dr. James Delgado to because we as a nation are hungry and want to understand where we discuss shipwrecks, culture, came from, not only as a nation, but as individuals and as families. Mari- and the lessons of our time history links us to that — powerfully. maritime past. How do marine sanctuaries help preserve these stories What exactly is maritime heritage? of our history and connect people with them? Maritime heritage, simply stated, is every bit of evidence from the The national marine sanctuaries, all 14 of them, have strong links past about how we as human beings have interacted with the water, to the past as well as the important natural resources and the scenic, from lakes and rivers to the ocean, maritime landscapes, lifesaving sta- recreational and economic opportunities they provide. Along with the tions, life boats, historical fishing grounds, maritime graveyards, mari- waters of the National Park System, they are the greatest museum time cities and towns, and shipwrecks. All of those together, as well as America has. Sitting down there beneath those waters are the remains everything ever written and documented, whether it’s a painting or a of prehistoric settlements, of the areas where the first people moved great book like Moby-Dick — that’s all part of our maritime heritage. and walked. Consider this: for hundreds of miles off our coast, what now is wet was once dry land, where people actively worked and set- How significant has the ocean been in shaping America tled 10,000 years ago. as we know it today? That’s part of the importance of marine sanctuaries: they give us a I think that in the fabric of American history, one the strongest threads tangible link to the past, and at the same time they provide us with a — maybe the strongest — is our relationship to the sea. Think about it: modern opportunity in our own time to connect to that past. Whether From prehistoric times, people settled this continent not only by walking we visit it as divers, see it on film, learn about it in a maritime museum, over land, but largely by taking boats and moving along the edges of ice or read about it on the web, the National Marine Sanctuary System and land that was being revealed as the Ice Age ended. connects Americans with their heritage that is relevant, exciting, impor- Imagine American history without ships, like those that landed in tant, and literally right off our doorstep in these great treasures known Jamestown, or the Mayflower. Think as well of all those ships that car- as sanctuaries. ried goods and commodities from one part of the country to another, or around the world. The Great Lakes were a great economic artery that James Delgado is an accomplished writer, archaeologist and historian. He helped build the United States, with ships moving up and down the coast has authored or edited more than 32 books and participated in undersea and through the lakes, creating cities like Detroit and Chicago. Even now explorations around the world, including the mapping of the RMS Titanic. in the 21st century, 90 percent of the goods that we consume or ship abroad as Americans comes by water. What can a better understanding of our maritime heritage teach us for the future? I think it’s always important, when you look forward, to look back. In the case of marine resources, some of the wrecks I’ve worked on really speak volumes about choices made and choices that should not be followed now. Take for instance a wreck in Panama that was a submarine built dur- ing the American Civil War to fight, but instead was sent south to harvest pearls. What it did was it wiped out the pearl beds to the point where Photo: Christian Kozowyk they’ve never recovered. The owners went bankrupt and the company folded, and their expensive submarine ended up abandoned on a beach where now, more than a century and a half after it was built, it remains a rusting relic of a bad business plan, as well as our devastation of the marine environment. Scan this code with your smartphone or visit http://go.usa.gov/Xv5 Fall 2011 forSanctuary video of Watch 9 the interview with Dr. Delgado.  Stories of Our Photo: J. B. Phillips collection, Courtesy of the Monterey History & Art Association TITANIC Legacy of a Disaster In the early morning hours of April 15, 1912, the RMS Titanic — the larg- est and most luxurious ship of its time — met a devastating end, striking an iceberg and sinking to the bottom of the North Atlantic. More than 1,500 people perished in its disastrous loss. Discovered in 1985, the shipwreck This photograph, titled “Silver Harvest,” depicts fish- now lies more than 12,400 feet below ermen pouring sardines into a purse seiner hold. the surface on the edge of Canada’s continental shelf. The British-regis- tered, American-owned Titanic repre- SARDINES sents a tangible link to United States A Pacific Fishery, Boom to Bust maritime history and has inspired the creative genius of historians, film- In the early 1900s, three men from vastly different back- makers and ocean enthusiasts around grounds came to Monterey Bay, Calif., lured there by massive the world. It has provided a storyline schools of sardines. Together, they created an industry that for countless books, articles, films and documentaries, including the would become the largest fishery in the western hemisphere, Academy Award-winning James Cameron megahit Titanic. catching millions upon millions of sardines over more than two However, the significance of the ship’s status as a pop culture decades until its devastating collapse. icon is surpassed by its historical significance as a memorial in hon- Frank Booth, a salmon cannery owner from Northern California, or of those lives that were lost in its sinking. Of the 306 American opened the first sardine cannery in 1902 after witnessing the sheer passengers on board the Titanic, 119 were never rescued. In 2006, numbers of fish in the bay. Soon after, a young Norwegian fisheries at age 99, Lillian Asplund, the last living American survivor of the engineer named Knute Hovden arrived and partnered with Booth Titanic, died in Massachusetts. At age five, she lost her father and to improve canning technology. All that remained was securing a steady supply of fish. Pietro Ferrante, an accomplished fisherman from Sicily, provided the solution, adapting Italian fishing gear and MAKAH recruiting friends to harvest unprecedented quantities of sardines. Fueled by the demand for food during World War I, the sar- ‘The Ocean Is Our Land’ dine fishery grew into a juggernaut, with landings from Califor- Asahel Curtis, Courtesy of the Makah Cultural and Research Center nia to British Columbia. By 1945, Monterey alone boasted 19 Makah whalers Jesse Allabush (far left) and David Fisher (far right) participate in canneries and 20 reduction plants. San Francisco, San Pedro and an early 20th century whale hunt. San Diego were booming, too. Together, these four cities had a total of more than 100 canneries and reduction plants, employ- ing thousands of workers and a fleet of 376 vessels. At its peak in the 1936-37 season, California’s sardine industry landed more than 726,000 tons of fish. In the late 1940s, sardines suddenly started vanishing, first from the Pacific Northwest and finally from southern California in the late 1950s. The cause of the fishery collapse evoked great debate. Now, after decades of study, most scientists attribute it to a combination of overfishing and a natural fluctuation in the sardine population. Today, the Pacific sardine fishery has rebounded and is care- In 1855, when the United States negotiated the Treaty of Neah fully managed by strict catch limits. By studying and under- Bay with leaders of the Makah people of the Pacific Northwest, standing the ocean and our past maritime history, we can ensure tribal negotiators expressed concern over their future access and that valuable ocean resources are protected for the future. rights to the ocean — the mainstay for their way of life. “We only 10 Sanctuary Watch Fall 2011 Maritime Heritage LIGHTHOUSES Beacons of our Maritime Heritage The Titanic, which sank nearly 100 years ago, remains one of the most significant shipwrecks in our history. Since the earliest days of European settlement in the New World, ships have crashed into the shallow, jagged reefs of the Florida Keys. With nothing to guide them through the treacherous shoals, many vessels ran aground and were left high and dry, while others had their hulls ripped open and sank to the sandy bottom. After the American Revolutionary War, one of the new na- tion’s first priorities was to make coastal navigation safer. The ninth act of the first Congress of the United States was the Light- house Act of 1789, which placed lighthouses under federal con- trol “to regulate and encourage the trade and commerce of the new nation.” The American economy depended on safe, reliable Photo: Library of Congress movement of goods and people along the Eastern Seaboard and Gulf Coast, and these beacons of light provided the solution. The complexity of architecture, engineering and diversity of lighthouses in the U.S. is greater than that of any other coun- try in the world. Florida boasts more than 30 lighthouses of all shapes and sizes, eight three brothers on the Titanic. Other passengers onboard the Titanic of which are found in were foreign-born immigrants traveling to the United States full of the Florida Keys. Sev- Installed at Alligator Reef hope and potential. Many of these individuals did not survive. eral unique lighthouses in 1873, this 136-foot light tower is named after the With the 100th anniversary of the sinking of the Titanic ap- rise from the turquoise U.S. Navy schooner Alligator, proaching in April 2012, international partners are working on new waters of the Keys which sank there in 1822. legislation to ensure the preservation of this iconic piece of our from four to six miles maritime history and culture that holds deep meaning for so many offshore, warning mari- around the world. ners about the danger- ous coral reef just be- low the surface. Today, more ad- need houses to live in, but the ocean is our land,” a spokesman said. vanced technology has Rights to a common share of fish and shellfish, as well as the right reduced our depen- to continue whaling, were negotiated into their treaty. dence on lighthouses More than 150 years later, the Makah Tribe thrives in its rela- for navigational safety, tionship to the ocean, near Cape Flattery, the northwestern-most but they remain a part point in the lower 48 states and partially surrounded by Olympic of our nation’s mari- Coast National Marine Sanctuary. But until 1974, the Makah’s time cultural landscape, treaty-protected rights to marine resources were bitterly contested. representing centuries The dispute was settled only after the U.S. Supreme Court ruled of trade, commerce, that the terms of the 1855 Treaty of Neah Bay were the definitive innovation and adven- law of the land. ture. The Office of the Today, Makah fishermen continue to harvest salmon, halibut, National Marine Sanc- groundfish, crab and other ocean resources, guided by tribal biolo- tuaries recognizes the gists and policy-makers in collaboration with other treaty tribes, value of these unique the state of Washington and NOAA under terms of the treaties and symbols of our mari- the Magnuson-Stevens Act. But the ocean represents more than the time heritage and seeks Photo: Brenda Altmeier Makah “breadbasket.” The ocean is embedded in the tribe’s objects, to preserve their stories art, song, dance, story and language. It permeates community and of American growth, individual identity and embodies the continuity from the past to the prosperity and explora- future — tradition to tomorrow. tion along our shores. Fall 2011 Sanctuary Watch 11 T h e Gre atest A d v e n t u r e : Project Shiphunt By Tirrea Billings In May, Tirrea Billings and four other high school students from Saginaw, Mich., embarked on Project Shiphunt, an expedition to search for shipwrecks in the depths of Thunder Bay National Marine Sanctuary. Through the power of maritime heritage education, the project exposed Tirrea and her classmates to fascinating history, advanced technology and inspirational discoveries, opening up a new world of opportunities in marine science. This is her story. challenge: Can five students from Saginaw, just a few yards from the Merrick, this one a Mich., really find a missing sunken ship? bulk freighter named the Etruria. The 414- Before heading out on the water, we re- foot Etruria sank in 1905, also following a searched loads of information about our tar- collision with another ship in the dense fog get: a bulk freighter that sank in 1915 known of Shipwreck Alley. While we never did find as the Choctaw. We were on an investigation the Choctaw, we were ecstatic to have dis- Photo: Christian Kozowyk to find out where the ship sank, what types covered these other ships. of cargo it was carrying, and the route it was Discovering these sunken marvels made taking. We also did research about the ship’s me realize and understand the importance of structure, the materials it was made from, how maritime history. Protecting treasures such T and when it sank, and other facts that could as the M. F. Merrick, the Etruria, and other he chilled spring air of Lake Hu- lead us to the discovery of the Choctaw’s lo- sunken ships is a necessity. Shipwrecks help ron blew against my face, and a cation. While the week was long and exhaust- historians, researchers and others uncover rush of thrill and wonder flowed ing, it consisted of the most rewarding work and share stories that help us understand our within my soul. As we boarded that I have ever done. relationship with different bodies of water the research vessel Laurentian Using technology like side-scan sonar all over the world. at Thunder Bay in Alpena, Mich., on that and remotely operated vehicles (ROVs), we In the end, Project Shiphunt was an ad- foggy, mystic day, my excitement grew. soon began our search in Lake Huron. Ini- venture unlike anything I expected. I loved Many thoughts filled my head. What if we tially, we mapped out a location of where we every single moment of the experience, from don’t find the ship we are looking for? What believed the ship sank about one square mile the long hours of intense research to riding if we find something different? What if we in area, then used sonar to map the seafloor on a boat for the first time. However, the don’t find anything at all? I didn’t know what within the search zone. The readings were most memorable part was actually finding the final outcome of this project was going to conclusive: there was definitely something the ships — at that moment, I imagined them be, but I knew that we were in for the most down there. But, the question was, what? sinking, the fear that the passengers felt, and challenging adventure of our young lives. The moment of truth soon arrived. Af- the sorrow from the lives that were lost. After a tough application and interview ter dropping the ROVs with built-in cam- Project Shiphunt has given me the inspi- process a month prior to the voyage, I had eras into the water, we could see everything ration to pursue a life of exploration and sci- found out that I was one of the five Arthur that the ROVs could see on video screens entific discovery, and I will always remem- Hill High School students selected to partic- aboard the Laurentian. After over an hour ber it as the greatest adventure any teenager ipate in Project Shiphunt, an expedition to of searching, we found our first shipwreck could imagine. search for a sunken ship in an area of Lake — only, it wasn’t the Choctaw! In- Huron known as “Shipwreck Alley.” stead, we had discovered the M. F. Tiesha, Yer, Cody, James, and I found Merrick, a 138-foot schooner that was out that this was more than just a week-long run down by another vessel in heavy field trip away from school when we arrived fog in 1889. at NOAA’s Great Lakes Maritime Heritage To our surprise, a few moments lat- Center in Alpena. This was going to be a real er our cameras revealed another wreck Scan this code with your smartphone or visit Courtesy of Sony http://thunderbay.noaa.gov/shiphunt.html to watch the Project Shiphunt trailer. The Project Shiphunt documentary film premiered Aug. 29 at the Temple Theater in Saginaw, Michigan. 12 Sanctuary Watch Fall 2011  SANCTUARYVOICES Callum Roberts Author of The Unnatural History of the Sea Sanctuary Voices is a guest column featuring views and opinions from the national marine sanctuary community. The north shore of Santa It’s a wonderful idea and offers what to my mind is a more plausible Rosa in California’s Chan- route into North America than an ice-free corridor through lands otherwise nel Islands National Park still gripped by glaciers. We may never know whether it is true, but regard- plunges steeply to the sea. A less, these new finds show that North Americans have used the oceans sparse cactus scrub spreads and their resources over a vast span of time. And with use comes change. a faded green wash over We are only just beginning to discover the many ways in which people parched brown earth. At the have altered the maritime seascapes on which they depended. Over the cliff edge, layers of soil slide seawards like a lurching stack of pancakes. long span of history, those changes have deepened and multiplied. Until To most people, these cliffs and islands are no more than backdrop to fish- recently they went unnoticed. For most of us the oceans seemed to be ing, scuba diving or kayaking in Channel Islands National Marine Sanctu- the last wilderness, changeless and beyond harm. We were mistaken. ary. Few venture inland, and fewer still are aware that these dusty layers Culture, commerce, wildlife and seascape have been intimately con- conceal the extraordinary remains of America’s earliest maritime culture. nected for thousands of years. Understanding those links enriches our Searching these cliffs in 2008, the archaeologists Jon “We are only just beginning to discover the many ways in which people Erlandson of the University of Oregon and Torben Rick of the have altered the maritime seascapes on which they depended.” Smithsonian came across tan- talizing signs of early activity. Flakes of stone, beautifully worked spear appreciation of what the oceans have meant to different generations. points, crescent blades and charred bone fragments lay scattered across Sadly, in many places, those interactions have left marine life worse off the crumbling cliffs. After three seasons of careful excavation, they had than it was when California’s Channel Islands were first colonized. So it unearthed thousands of stone artifacts, bones and shell fragments left is fitting that they are the setting for a bold experiment to restore some of by the island’s first people that give us a window into their world. the abundance of marine life that their earliest settlers would have known. The remains make it clear that these people had a remarkably so- In 2003, a network of marine reserve zones that covers a quarter of phisticated maritime culture. At the time, the Ice Age was ending, sea Channel Islands sanctuary waters was closed to fishing. Already, there levels were 230 feet lower and the seashore was four miles from the are welcome signs that life is on the rebound within them. After only present-day cliffs. The northern Channel Islands were joined together five years of protection, abundance of predatory fish was up by 50 to but separated from the mainland by a channel more than five miles 80 percent. With time, the effects of those reserves should become felt wide. To get there, these people must have been good seafarers with throughout sanctuary waters as life spills beyond the bounds of pro- sturdy boats. They ate a varied diet rich in marine foods, including aba- tected zones. The idea is catching on and reserves are now being estab- lone, mussels, rockfish, sculpin, seals and sea lions. They were also lished in many other coastal states skilled hunters of geese and rodents, including a now-extinct flightless to help life in their waters proliferate goose, whose disappearance they doubtless hastened. for all to enjoy. Refuges from exploi- Conventional wisdom says that the first colonists made their way tation are important tools to restore across a land bridge from Asia and found their way through an ice-free productivity and sustain cultures corridor to verdant southern lands. That view was sustained by the rela- that depend on the sea. By under- tive scarcity of coastal remains compared to the abundant archaeological standing our past we can manage record from the interior. The trouble is the scarcity of coastal sites arises better for the future. not because people did not live by the sea, but because their remains were covered by rising seas following the last glaciation. The few sites Callum Roberts is a professor of that do exist paint a picture of communities whose lives were completely marine conservation at the Uni- entwined with the sea. Indeed, their seafaring, fishing and hunting tech- versity of York, England, and the niques were so well-developed that Erlandson and Rick think that the author of The Unnatural History of sea might have been the route from Asia to North America. Coastal peo- the Sea (Island Press), an account ple followed a rich kelp forest “highway” brimming with seafood as they of the effects of 1,000 years of fish- ventured around the north Pacific. ing and hunting on marine life. Fall 2011 Sanctuary Watch 13  Photo Courtesy of the Monroe County Public Library SANCTUARYSNAPSHOT Believe it or not, fish the size of the goliath grouper pictured above were a common catch when this photo was taken by Charles Anderson in the 1950s. But decades of fishing have taken their toll on large predatory species like grouper and sharks, reducing their numbers and removing many of the biggest individual fish. As a result, anglers now catch mostly smaller fish, and smaller species. Today, we are studying historical records to learn more about how fisheries have changed over time. Research like this gives us a new perspective on how the maritime landscape used to look, the ways our activities have affected ocean ecosystems, and steps we can take to protect special places like national marine sanctuaries for the future.