BOEM Wreck Site 15377

Background

BOEM Wreck Site 15377 is a shipwreck in the Gulf of Mexico that was likely a fully-rigged ship, bark, or barkentine that was probably constructed between 1830 and the middle of the 19th century. It has copper sheathing on the hull, an assemblage of ceramics, stoneware, and blown glass containers, among other artifacts. In the center of the site is a sheet anchor, stove, and what appears to be the remains of a windlass or possible bilge pump. Judging from the layout of the hull and how boxy it is, it is likely that it was a merchant vessel designed for long ocean voyages.

Remotely operated vehicle Deep Discoverer images "Wreck 15377." — Remotely operated vehicle *Deep Discoverer* images BOEM Wreck Site 15377. *Image courtesy of NOAA Ocean Exploration, Gulf of Mexico 2017.* Download largest version (jpg, 293 KB).

Exploration

Discovered in 2005 during an oil and gas survey and identified as Site 15377 by the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM), this wreck site was explored for the first time on December 9, 2017, during an expedition led by NOAA Ocean Exploration aboard NOAA Ship Okeanos Explorer. Remotely operated vehicle (ROV) Deep Discoverer — equipped with an Insite Pacific Zeus Plus camera capable of collecting high-definition footage — was used to document the site, which is at a depth of approximately 700 meters and is 32 meters long and 10 meters wide.

A significant portion of BOEM Wrecksite 15377’s hull is buried under sediment, as indicated by the lead draft marks on the wreck's stem post at what appeared to be one-foot intervals. *Image courtesy of the NOAA Ocean Exploration, Gulf of Mexico 2017.* Download largest version (jpg, 1.1 MB).

Modeling

This model of BOEM Wreck Site 15377 from NOAA Ocean Exploration is based on the ROV dive footage from timestamps 21:45 to 23:10. The footage was exported into 4,905 still images using VLC Player and color corrected in Adobe Photoshop. An additional photogrammetric model of this site is available on BOEM's Virtual Underwater Museum.

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Photogrammetry model of BOEM Wreck Site 15377 developed by Raymond Phipps, NOAA Ocean Exploration explorer-in-training, June 26, 2023. Model courtesy of NOAA Ocean Exploration, Gulf of Mexico 2017.

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Site 15377 Bow Section with Hawes Pipes, Windlass, and Stove Visible

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Site 15377 windlass, stove, and sheet anchor.

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Site	Data
Site Name	Site 15377
Type	UCH
UCH Vessel Date Built	Post 1830
UCH Vessel Date Sank	N/A
Hull Material	Wood
Official Number	N/A
Location	Gulf of Mexico
Depth	700 meters
Length	32 meters
Width	10 meters

Dive	Data
Expedition Number	EX1711
Expedition Name	Gulf of Mexico 2017
ROV Dive Number	07
ROV Dive Date	December 9, 2017
ROV Used	Deep Discoverer
Camera Information	Insite Pacific Zeus Plus HD, 3-CCD color camera with 2/3-inch 2,200,000 pixel 1080i IT CCDs
Video or Stills	Video

Model	Data
Software	Agisoft Metashape Standard Version 2.0.1
Number of Images Used/Format	4,905/JPG
Image Alignment Percentage	98%
Number of Tie Points	1,185,218
Time to Complete	8 hours
Orthomosaic Views Available	No
Images Available	Yes
Animations Available	Yes
Available File Exports/Location/POC	archaeology.oceanexploration@noaa.gov
Images Available	Yes

Published October 17, 2024