Research Topics

poster of the titanic

Titanic

A hundred years after its sinking, Titanic rests on a muddy plain, torn apart, scattered, slowly eroding into the eternal darkness of the sea. It is a ghost town, its well-preserved decks and artifacts a powerful reminder of the ship as it was, the people who lived and worked on it, and its loss.


photo of diver and a captain of a ship sailing

Voyage to Discovery

Voyage to Discovery Journey through time to discover the untold stories of African-Americans and the sea through education, archaeology, science - and underwater exploration!


photo of two ships bombing eachother

Battle of the Atlantic

During the first half of 1942, war raged off the shores of North Carolina. Explosions were seen and heard from the shore, oil washed up on the beaches, and dozens of valuable ships were sent to the bottom.


photo of divers assessing a shipwreck

Maritime Archaeology

Maritime archaeology is the study of past human cultures with an emphasis on how humans interacted with the world's oceans, lakes and river systems.


photo of whaling ship

Whaling

There's no doubt that the history of American whaling is a significant part of our national maritime heritage, for it is a topic that encompasses historic voyages.


photo of whaling ship

Native Cultures

The Maritime Heritage Program seeks to support research into seafaring traditions and the preservation of maritime folklore and knowledge.