No One Knows How Many Shipwrecks Exist, So How Do We Find Them?

There is an unknown number of shipwrecks at the bottom of the sea around the world. To find them, researchers must use imagery methods.

By Darren Incorvaia
Oct 5, 2022 7:45 PMJun 27, 2023 7:58 PM
Shipwreck
(Credit: Nicolas-SB/Shutterstock)

Newsletter

Sign up for our email newsletter for the latest science news
 

The SS Edmund Fitzgerald was the largest ship to sink in the Great Lakes. Caught in a heavy storm in Lake Superior, all 29 crewmen lost their lives. Though the Edmund Fitzgerald is the most well-known, there are also an estimated 10,000 shipwrecks in the Great Lakes alone, many of which have never been found.

If there are 10,000 estimated shipwrecks in the five Great Lakes, how many shipwrecks are there throughout the Earth’s waters?

“Various people have thrown numbers out,” says Dan Davis, associate professor of classics at Luther College and expert on ancient maritime history. “No one really knows exactly what that number should be.”

How Do We Find Shipwrecks?

Though we might not know how many shipwrecks are out there, it stands to reason that there are many waiting to be discovered. But how do scientists and explorers go about finding them?

0 free articles left
Want More? Get unlimited access for as low as $1.99/month

Already a subscriber?

Register or Log In

0 free articlesSubscribe
Discover Magazine Logo
Want more?

Keep reading for as low as $1.99!

Subscribe

Already a subscriber?

Register or Log In

Stay Curious

Sign up for our weekly newsletter and unlock one more article for free.

 

View our Privacy Policy


Want more?
Keep reading for as low as $1.99!


Log In or Register

Already a subscriber?
Find my Subscription

More From Discover
Recommendations From Our Store
Shop Now
Stay Curious
Join
Our List

Sign up for our weekly science updates.

 
Subscribe
To The Magazine

Save up to 40% off the cover price when you subscribe to Discover magazine.

Copyright © 2024 Kalmbach Media Co.