This helps explain the NOAA boat I've seen heading out of A/C loaded to the gills with scuba gear. These guys are looking for a way in!!
James P. Delgado, Ph.D. On Thursday, August 29th, NJHDA will host an evening with James Delgado, Director of NOAA's Maritime Heritage Program. NOAA (National Oceanographic and Atmospheric Administration) has set up the program in order to protect certain submerged cultural resources within United States waters.
"I'm a fairly recent addition to NOAA after 20 years working outside of government, including several years with Clive Cussler hunting for significant wrecks." said Delgado.
In recent years, sport divers have had concerns that access to many wrecks would be restricted by the federal government. Sport fishermen, have voiced similar concerns. Jim Delgado's recent work on the shipwreck site of the "Robert J. Walker" reminded him of this. He has taken steps to smooth the relationship between NOAA and the public it serves. "I do not want to send the wrong message. We want to establish a different, and new relationship with wreck divers and the "Walker" is a good opportunity to do that by not making it a sanctuary and cooperating and working with everyone to make it a better, more interesting dive. The commitment from NOAA is to encourage diving and without any permits required to dive or recreationally fish the site." said Delgado. "I'm hoping that any chance to work positively with you is not lost," he added.
Jim wants divers to be able to visit this site, which has special meaning to him and his fellow employees in NOAA. He will explain this to all of those who attend the August 29th meeting in the e New Jersey Shipwreck Museum at InfoAge Science Center. The museum is located at 2201 Marconi Road, Wall, NJ.
While he insists that divers no longer recover artifacts from this historically significant wreck site, he encourages divers that have already recovered some lend artifacts to a display he'd like to see established in an area museum.
Brian
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