Researchers are exploring a ghostly realm hidden beneath the rippling surface of Seattle’s busy Lake Union. Using a remotely operated vehicle (ROV), a team lead by ocean engineer and robotics specialist Phil Parisi has begun exploring and documenting dozens of forgotten shipwrecks lying in the lake bottom’s green haze. Parisi is assisted by Libbie Barnes, a curator of exhibits and engagement at Seattle’s Museum of History & Industry.
The team plans to investigate over 100 targeted sites within this “Shipwreck City.” Among them are sailboats, transportation barges, a fishing tender, as well as a World War II minesweeper, landing craft, and submarine chaser. So far, the project has explored 34 wrecks in 21 hours of underwater sleuthing.
