The "Imaging, Detection, Documentation and Recovery of Underwater Shipwrecks" project, led by the Bodrum Underwater Archaeology Museum Directorate of the Ministry of Culture and Tourism, was carried out in partnership with TÜBİTAK MAM Environment and Clean Production Institute and Dokuz Eylül University.
The presentation of the cannon and other materials recovered from underwater was held at a press conference attended by Melik Ayaz, Head of Excavations Department of the General Directorate of Cultural Heritage and Museums of the Ministry of Culture and Tourism, Dr. Selma Ayaz, Director of TÜBİTAK MAM ÇTÜE and Dokuz Eylül University Faculty Member Assoc. Prof. Dr. Harun Özdaş and the study team. It was agreed with the Ministry officials that the work to be carried out together in unearthing the underwater wrecks will continue.
A series of studies were carried out to reveal our underwater assets off the coast of Didim with the contributions of our ship and research personnel with the strong device and equipment infrastructure of TÜBİTAK MARMARA Research Ship. During the field studies, bathymetric maps of the wreck area were revealed with our Multi-Beam Depth Gauge device on board. TÜBİTAK MAM Our unmanned underwater vehicle, which was designed by the Energy Institute, integrated into the ship, crane systems and control room by the Environment and Clean Production Institute, and developed with domestic and national facilities, has undertaken very critical tasks in the project. Thanks to the unmanned underwater vehicle, wreck sites and wrecks were visualized and their locations were determined. This was the first time that our unmanned underwater vehicle was used for this purpose, in order to reveal underwater assets. Capable of descending to depths of 1000 meters, our unmanned underwater vehicle provides the opportunity to view and locate underwater objects at depths where divers cannot descend. A number of finds whose locations were determined in the project were taken to the ship's deck with the help of our crane with a lifting capacity of 3.5 tons and loaded into protected containers for preservation under suitable storage conditions. In addition to oceanographic instruments, TÜBİTAK MARMARA Research Vessel has a dynamic positioning system for researches that require fixed positioning of the ship, which was successfully used in this project. The USBL acoustic positioning system, which we also used within the scope of this project, was used to track the position of equipment such as underwater vehicles, measuring devices and divers.
In this context, the work carried out by the TÜBİTAK MAM Environment and Cleaner Production Institute has also attracted media attention.
http://www.milliyet.com.tr/didim-aciklarinda-tarihi-gemi-kalintisinin-aydin-yerelhaber-3110798/
https://youtu.be/rBlBkcnpDQY (TRT News)
TÜBİTAK MARMARA Research Vessel, which was designed and built in order to strengthen and rejuvenate our country's marine research fleet, was built in Turkey and commissioned by TÜBİTAK Marmara Research Center on July 1, 2013. TUBITAK MARMARA Research Vessel, with its up-to-date equipment and unlimited navigation possibilities, conducts scientific research in Turkish and international waters and provides important information for monitoring marine pollution and protecting the marine environment (http://ctue.mam.tubitak.gov.tr/tr/rv-tubitak-marmara-gemisi). As a regional class and medium-sized research vessel, TÜBİTAK MARMARA Research Vessel can be used cost-effectively thanks to its high technical and technological capabilities. Since its commissioning, the Research Vessel has been conducting scientific research expeditions on the oceanographic structure, pollution monitoring and pollution control of the Marmara Sea, Black Sea and Aegean Sea, especially the Turkish Straits. Through TÜBİTAK MARMARA Research Vessel, national and international research projects are carried out with Ministries, Municipalities, Universities, Public Institutions, Non-Governmental Organizations, Private Sector Representatives and international R&D Centers.
