New Scientific Dataset for Unpath’d Waters
A unique and potentially extremely valuable scientific dataset was recently acquired by Unpath’d Waters project staff during a research cruise in the Irish Sea.
Staff using Bangor University’s research vessel ‘Prince Madog’ collected high-resolution multibeam sonar data from over 150 wreck/obstruction sites that are listed on the UK Hydrographic Office database, including 60 sites in the Bristol Channel, 26 sites off the coast of South Wales and 63 located between the Isle of Man and Northern Ireland.
This new dataset includes 129 sites not previously thought to have been surveyed using multibeam sonar, as well as data from more detailed surveys undertaken over several wreck sites (previously surveyed by Bangor University in 2020) that are of potentially historical importance within our Unpath’d Waters project study area to the west of the Isle of Man. Work will now begin on processing the data to produce high-density point clouds for analysis in combination with maritime archives (such as vessel plans, vessel logs, newspaper archives, etc) to determine the identity of many of these wrecks which remain unknown.
this new dataset when used in combination with other scientific data and the wealth of Unpath’d Waters project resources and facilities readily available and under development, has the potential to radically transform our understanding of what lies on the seabed in our study area and provide us with unique and valuable insights on how these sites will change over the coming decades
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