Increased state funding expands research possibilities for IUSPHB at shipwreck nature preserves 

The Indiana Department of Natural Resources (DNR) recently increased their funding for the IU School of Public Health-Bloomington (SPH-B) Center for Underwater Science initiative "Shipwreck research and noninvasive monitoring/maintenance of the J.D. Marshall and Muskegon" from $68,400 to $75,145. This increased support for vital graduate and undergraduate research programs allow students to work on interpretive materials, photographs, and video of these "living museum" Shipwreck Nature Preserves in the Great Lakes, as well as receive invaluable diving safety training, according to Center for Underwater Science director Charles Beeker.

"With the funding we can now run a field school there," Professor Beeker says. "IU is the only university in Indiana that offers underwater archeology as part of their curriculum."

Additional support from the DNR supports the three pillars of the center’s 2030 strategic plan: 1) Student success and opportunity, 2) Transformative research and creativity, and 3) Service to the state and beyond. This is the fourth grant the DNR has awarded the Center for Underwater Science for these Shipwreck Nature Preserves. Professor Beeker shares that the beauty of these sites is they are readily accessible in less than 33 feet of water, making them perfect training ground for novice divers. The program has already received 16 applications for the Lake Michigan-Indiana Shipwrecks field project scheduled for July 15–19, 2024.

Assistant Director Robert Kessler, who was instrumental in obtaining the additional funding from DNR, says the goal of the state partnership is to have a baseline understanding of the cultural as well as biological resources that these shipwrecks provide. This includes monitoring and surveying the sites in partnership with local law enforcement and making the public more aware of what’s out there.

"There are far more non-divers than divers so working with the state and federal parks as well as private museums with our public outreach mission is key," he adds.

Diving Safety Officer Samuel Haskell shares that they also offer students the opportunity to travel to "living museums" in the Dominican Republic, Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary, Cayman Islands, and Thunder Bay National Marine Sanctuary, but many novice divers are amazed at what is readily available to discover right here in Indiana. This July, IU will host a formal inauguration of the Muskegon Shipwreck Nature Preserve to the National Register of Historic Places. A commemorative plaque will be installed, as well as a permanent mooring system that will open the site for safe public access.

"For us to be able to go locally to our own maritime heritage—our own Indiana history—take our students there, build stewardship and then offer training they can use in the future in cold water archeological diving is really unparalleled," says Haskell. "It gives us an entirely different avenue for student training and success, and a lot of that is because of the funding from the state."

Something for everyone

IU started training students in scuba diving in 1963 and it remains one of the oldest programs of its kind in the country. In 1992 the research arm of the program, known today as the Center for Underwater Science, was founded and has since become a nationally recognized leader and developer of these vital underwater cultural resources, according to Professor Beeker.

"There are far more non-divers than divers so working with the state and federal parks as well as private museums with our public outreach mission is key," he adds.

"This program has opened up a world I never thought I was going to be part of, or even would ever actually be qualified for," says Jesse Hensley, a U.S. Navy veteran who recently obtained his divemaster certification, the first professional level of scuba diving. "Professor Beeker has done a great job of building a program with a multi-disciplinary approach that pulls people into all different aspects."

Hensley, who is currently working on his Master of Science in Recreation (M.S.R.) in outdoor recreation, graduated in 2023 from IU Bloomington with his B.A. in international/global studies and was particularly attracted to the field project opportunities. Haskell, who works with Hensley part-time as a paramedic for IU Health, encouraged him to try out the diving program and "get as involved as you want."

"I got to do underwater archeology, help with excavation of a 16th century shipwreck, help with fish studies…conservation of shipwreck artifacts from the waters of the Dominican Republic and just all kinds of excellent experiences," says Hensley. "If you want to get your certification before spring break to have some fun that’s fine, and if you want to ‘dive’ into the science and research aspects, that’s fine too."

Invaluable student opportunities

Laboratory coordinator and anthropology graduate student Sarah Muckerheide obtained her scuba certification while still in high school and knew that underwater archeology was a field she wanted to pursue, but it wasn’t until she came to IU that she realized her studies could be done right here in her home state.

"(Haskell) showed me around the Underwater Science laboratory and Pool 194—the scuba pool—and from that visit on I knew that I wanted to make my future at IU," says Muckerheide, who notes that the Center for Underwater Science and the diving program are "inextricably linked."

In the last five years, Muckerheide has gone from a newly certified scuba diver to a Professional Association of Diving Instructors (PADI) Divemaster and Open Water Scuba Instructor, empowering her to teach a safety course to one of her peers. At the same time, Muckerheide has honed unique and critical skills for the conservation of submerged metal artifacts, working on objects that have been underwater for more than 400 years.

"The center provides critical research skills, and the dive program provides the scuba and safety skills, so combined the two programs molded me into a competent water archeologist," says Muckerheide.

For more stories about SPH-B programs, students, faculty and staff making an impact locally and worldwide, visit go.iu.edu/48bx.