Guest
From September 8-12, 2023, an interdisciplinary, interagency, and international team led by Ocean Exploration Trust aboard Exploration Vessel Nautilus had the honor and privilege to conduct in-depth archaeological assessments of three World War II aircraft carriers lost during the Battle of Midway. Our exploration resulted in the first visual survey of Imperial Japanese Navy (IJN) Akagi 赤城, the first detailed views of United States Ship Yorktown since it was first located 25 years ago, and a comprehensive survey of IJN Kaga 加賀. These historically significant wrecks were explored in their final resting places within Papahānaumokuākea Marine National Monument, the largest protected area in the U.S. and one of the largest in the world. Archaeologists from Japan, the U.S., and over 100 experts around the world were connected to ship operations via telepresence technology, helping guide the mission and providing valuable real-time interpretations throughout the surveys
