It's not everyday a student goes to class and discovers a possible unidentified shipwreck.
Northwestern Michigan College students enrolled in Freshwater Studies at NMC's Great Lakes Maritime Academy were on the research vessel Northwestern performing hydrographic surveys in late July when an image of what appeared to be a shipwreck came across their screens.
A remotely operated submarine confirmed that the shipwreck was a 105-foot barge. It is 27 feet wide and has no observable damage to its hull. The barge has two outboard-type motors that it used for propulsion.
Currently covered in quagga mussels, the barge is located where Grand Traverse Bay meets Lake Michigan, near the tip of the Leelanau Peninsula.
The four students were David Bearss, Alicia Higham, Ryan Deering and Tom LeBlanc. The students will now work with Mark Holley from NMC's Underwater Archaeology program to identify the ship. They will review maritime archives listing missing ships in the Great Lakes.
Writer: Sam Eggleston
Source: Northwestern Michigan College
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