Deep Thoughts: A Look at Public Access to Deepwater Sites through the Mardi Gras Shipwreck

Abstract

In late 2006, the Florida Public Archaeology Network (FPAN) was asked by the Minerals Management Service to direct the public outreach and education component of the Mardi Gras Shipwreck Project. Traditional public outreach efforts for archaeological sites in shallow water typically focus on getting diving and snorkeling visitors to the site. Interpretive materials for such sites often include waterproof site plans, submerged markers, and guidelines to direct visitors around the site as they explore and learn. Deepwater archaeological sites present unique challenges, namely, the interpretation of resources managed for the public that the public will never physically visit. This article discusses FPAN’s role in the Mardi Gras Shipwreck Project and the public education strategies developed to present the shipwreck and the extreme deepwater project to the public.