WEBVTT
Kind: captions
Language: en

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Ocean exploration is all about making new
discoveries.

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But sometimes the most fascinating
findings are when things are rediscovered.

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The USS Monitor was a Civil War ironclad warship
that sank in 1862.

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Sixteen lives were lost.

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It stayed there, unseen, untouched.

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Its location a mystery, for 100 years until it was rediscovered
in 1973.

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As an important piece of US history, the Monitor’s
protection and management were entrusted to

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NOAA, as it was designated the first national
marine sanctuary in 1975.

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NOAA and its partners began conducting expeditions
to the Monitor in 1977.

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Through the
combined efforts of submersible vehicles,

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scientific and salvage divers, and new salvage
technology, the entirety of the Monitor wreck

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site was mapped and documented.

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Both minor and
major artifacts were recovered.

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Those major artifacts included the ship’s
anchor, propeller, and turret.

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As researchers were digging through the sediment
in the turret, they made an amazing discovery.

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Buried within were the skeletal remains of
two of the Monitor’s crew.

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The sediment has preserved
the bones, protecting them from the harsh ocean environment.

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Exhaustive efforts were made to identify who
these sailors may have been, but an exact

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identification could not be determined.

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And on March 8, 2013, the remains of the two
sailors were

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laid to rest in Arlington National Cemetery
will full military honors.

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There are an estimated three million shipwrecks
on the ocean’s floor, each with its own

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mysteries and stories just waiting to be discovered.

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But it’s important that we take the proper
steps to

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preserve and protect these artifacts as vital
glimpses into our maritime history.