“We’re (not) going to need a bigger boat”: the tech that will replace traditional coastal research vessels
In 1968, the 85m RV Knorr was built for Woods Hole Oceanographic Institute. In 1985, Knorr supported the first ROV operations on the RMS Titanic; it was sold in 2016 after an active research life of more than 45 years, and replaced with a 73m ship. In 1964, the US army T boat “Virazon” supported Professor George Bass’s pioneering underwater excavations in Turkey; it was finally replaced with a newer 25m vessel in 2016. Over half a century when oceanographic technology for scientific and archaeological research has been characterized by spectacular innovation, the traditional research vessel has barely evolved at all. Research and dive vessel operational costs remain the greatest single obstacle to the democratization of the oceans through global participation in underwater research. The lack of alternatives to traditional RV platforms for marine science represents more than a failure of imagination: it is a collective abdication of environmental and social responsibility.
This paper explores the recent and potential application of new technology to reduce and replace the traditional RV in coastal scenarios, focusing on the excavation of the port of the Biblical King Herod at Caesarea Maritima in Israel. Recent discoveries at the coastal Caesarea site emphasize the need for technological agility, which the excavators are addressing with the new “Digski” class of RVs.