Wreck examined at Necker

By Jan TenBruggencate
Advertiser Science Writer

Dozens of ships are known to have wrecked on the reefs of the Northwestern Hawaiian Islands — along with at least one mystery ship.

Archaeologists have located what they believe is wreckage off Necker Island, or Mokumanamana.

No ship has ever been reported to have sunk at the rocky island between Kaua'i and French Frigate Shoals.

University of Hawai'i marine archaeologist Hans Van Tilburg said researchers did not initially recognize the wreck because it was so coral-encrusted, it looked like part of the reef.

Van Tilburg is leading an archaeology crew that is part of the Northwestern Hawaiian Islands Reef Assessment and Monitoring Program, a monthlong, two-ship expedition to the archipelago that extends 1,200 miles west-northwest from Kaua'i.

At Mokumanamana, the archaeologists eventually were able to identify the possible wreck site by recognizing heavily encrusted iron and machinery believed to be from an old ship.

Van Tilburg and his team took photographs and measurements for study later.

Other scientists have made breakthrough findings on the trip, which is in its first week.

Researchers believe they have found several forms of marine life that had never before been seen in these locations. Among them are two kinds of coral, and various crabs, snails and nudibranchs — marine slugs that are often very colorful.