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An underwater robotics expert has revealed a “shipwrecked city” hidden beneath a lake in a vast West Coast region – and much of it remains a mystery.
Remotely operated vehicle (ROV) technician Phil Parisi works to confirm and document nearly 100 “targets” in Lake Union, a central lake in Seattle, Washington.
The urban lake has served as an active waterway for over a century, supporting shipbuilding and shipping in the Emerald City.
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An expert told KING 5 that about half of those sites, which have been mapped but not visually confirmed, are believed to be shipwrecks — and not all of them have been explored by divers.
To close that gap, Parisi uses remotely operated vehicles (ROVs) to document targets identified in sonar surveys.
Phil Parisi, seen right, foreground, uses remotely operated vehicles to investigate underwater targets in Lake Union, aiming to identify shipwreck sites and better understand the lake’s maritime history. (shipwreckcity.org)
“We need to document what these tragedies look like today,” Parisi told KING 5.
He described the deepest parts of the lake as a “ghost town,” where plant life drops below 25 feet.
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“There is a severe lack of health,” said Parisi.
But what the lake lacks in marine life, he said, it causes damage.
About half of the mapped targets in Lake Union are believed to be shipwrecks, although many have not been confirmed or explored by divers. (shipwreckcity.org)
“It’s crazy that there’s so much down there,” he added, according to KING 5. “It shocked me. I was surprised. Looking at these maps – it’s a wrecked city.”
Parisi told Fox News Digital that, although about 40 sites have been documented, many identified in sonar tests have yet to be visually confirmed – a task he is now doing.
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Parisi and his team use GPS to get close to their targets, then rely on sonar to locate them in less visible water.
“Flying blind in murky, low-visibility waters is difficult, so we rely on ROV-mounted sonar to ‘see’ and determine which targets are limited,” he said.
“A lot of the wrecks are put under, and some ship owners are reluctant to let us film under their docks.”
“Then, we descend and fly toward the sonar signature until the target appears on the live ROV camera.”
Because of the pollution in Lake Union, Parisi said his team relies on ROVs, rather than scuba divers.
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“It’s nice not to worry about things that pollute the body,” he said.
But they still face challenges, especially with Seattle’s lake-focused rigs.
Identifying information on underwater vessels is often obscured by biofouling, corrosion and environmental degradation, making identification difficult. (shipwreckcity.org)
“A lot of the accidents are put under, and some marina owners don’t want to let us film under their docks,” he said.
“Additionally, when we arrive at a wreck, collecting identification information can be very difficult. Pollution, corrosion, social engineering and other environmental degradation often throw off registration stickers, obscure painted names, and cause wrecks.”
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Asked about describing the lake as a “shipwrecked city,” Parisi said two things stand out about the underwater landscape: the shallowness of Lake Union and the large number of “unknowns” that remain.
“The lake is surprisingly shallow compared to other waters in Puget Sound, which means lake goers are walking distance from submerged marine history but often don’t know it,” Parisi said.
“Every place has amazing landmarks and hidden gems, yet we often get distracted by the celebration of life.”
