Michael C. Barnette
Encyclopedia
Michael C. Barnette is an accomplished diver
, author
, photographer
founder of the Association of Underwater Explorers.
where he graduated in 1989. He then attended the University of South Carolina
, graduating in 1995 with a degree in Marine Biology
.
Barnette is married and currently resides in Saint Petersburg, FL.
Barnette became a fellow of The Explorers Club
in March 2009.
(NOAA) as a marine biologist. His current duties include protecting sea turtle
s by making sure fishing fleet
s worldwide are utilizing turtle excluder device
s. He was previously involved with the NOAA National Marine Fisheries Service
.
s since 1990 resulting in the identification of over 30 wreck sites. In 1996, Barnette founded the Association of Underwater Explorers (AUE) to expand the knowledge base of submerged cultural resources
.
bomber was ditched on 4 April 1943 and remained 45 metres (147.6 ft) below the surface of Lake Murray (South Carolina)
for 60 years. The recovery effort was headed by Dr. Robert Seigler and supervised by Gary Larkins of the Air Pirates. Barnette participated in the recovery effort with divers from AUE, the Rubicon Foundation
, and Woodville Karst Plain Project
in 2005. The project was documented by the History Channel and televised on their show Mega Movers
. The plane is being preserved by the Southern Museum of Flight
in Birmingham, Alabama
. This project carried Explorers Club flag number 103.
In 2006, Barnette participated in the History Channel's expedition to the HMHS Britannic
led by explorers John Chatterton
and Richie Kohler
. "RMS Titanic's Achilles Heel" was the first documentary
to be released from this expedition on June 17, 2007. "Titanic's Tragic Sister" also featured details from this expedition and first aired
on October 14, 2007.
Barnette's recovery of Oculina varicosa
from the Gulf of Mexico
in 2006 allowed researchers to confirm this species of concern
's existence in abundance in the Gulf. In 2009, Barnette returned to collect coral samples for testing that identified the species is genetically identical to Oculina varicosa
found off the eastern coast of Florida.
When the Eagle's Nest cave
system needed new guidelines
in 2007, Barnette and AUE took on the task replacing the old line as well as removing unnecessary lines.
In 2009, Barnette participated in a search for missing Women Airforce Service Pilots
(WASP) Gertrude Tompkins Silver with divers, explorers and aviation archaeologists
from the Missing Aircraft Search Team (MAST). Silver was the last WASP to go missing in World War II. She made a flight from Mines Field (currently LAX) to Palm Springs on October 26, 1944, intending to fly a P-51 Mustang
on to New Jersey, but never arrived in Palm Springs. The search for Silver's aircraft continues.
In 2010, Barnette filmed underwater segments for a TLC
television special on the Bermuda Triangle
.
Barnette has been active in the identification of numerous shipwrecks that include:
Scuba diving
Scuba diving is a form of underwater diving in which a diver uses a scuba set to breathe underwater....
, author
Author
An author is broadly defined as "the person who originates or gives existence to anything" and that authorship determines responsibility for what is created. Narrowly defined, an author is the originator of any written work.-Legal significance:...
, photographer
Underwater photography
Underwater photography is the process of taking photographs while under water. It is usually done while scuba diving, but can be done while snorkeling or swimming.-Overview:...
founder of the Association of Underwater Explorers.
Background
Barnette was born on September 7, 1971 in Fredericksburg, VA. He attended Stafford Senior High SchoolStafford Senior High School
Stafford Senior High School is a public secondary school located in Falmouth, Virginia - just north of the city of Fredericksburg, Virginia, and currently serves students in the southern portion of Stafford County, Virginia.Stafford High School is a comprehensive secondary school...
where he graduated in 1989. He then attended the University of South Carolina
University of South Carolina
The University of South Carolina is a public, co-educational research university located in Columbia, South Carolina, United States, with 7 surrounding satellite campuses. Its historic campus covers over in downtown Columbia not far from the South Carolina State House...
, graduating in 1995 with a degree in Marine Biology
Marine biology
Marine biology is the scientific study of organisms in the ocean or other marine or brackish bodies of water. Given that in biology many phyla, families and genera have some species that live in the sea and others that live on land, marine biology classifies species based on the environment rather...
.
Barnette is married and currently resides in Saint Petersburg, FL.
Barnette became a fellow of The Explorers Club
The Explorers Club
The Explorers Club is a professional society dedicated to scientific exploration of Earth, its oceans, and outer space. Founded in 1904 in New York City, it currently has 30 branches world wide...
in March 2009.
Career
Barnette is employed by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric AdministrationNational Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration , pronounced , like "noah", is a scientific agency within the United States Department of Commerce focused on the conditions of the oceans and the atmosphere...
(NOAA) as a marine biologist. His current duties include protecting sea turtle
Sea turtle
Sea turtles are marine reptiles that inhabit all of the world's oceans except the Arctic.-Distribution:...
s by making sure fishing fleet
Fishing fleet
A fishing fleet is an aggregate of commercial fishing vessels. The term may be used of all vessels operating out of a particular port, all vessels engaged in a particular type of fishing , or all fishing vessels of a country or region.Although fishing vessels are not formally organized as if they...
s worldwide are utilizing turtle excluder device
Turtle excluder device
A turtle excluder device or TED is a specialized device that allows a captured sea turtle to escape when caught in a fisherman's net.In particular, sea turtles can be caught when bottom trawling is used by the commercial shrimp fishing industry. In order to catch shrimp, a fine meshed trawl net is...
s. He was previously involved with the NOAA National Marine Fisheries Service
National Marine Fisheries Service
The National Marine Fisheries Service is a United States federal agency. A division of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and the Department of Commerce, NMFS is responsible for the stewardship and management of the nation's living marine resources and their habitat within the...
.
Association of Underwater Explorers
Barnette has been actively diving and researching shipwreckShipwreck
A shipwreck is what remains of a ship that has wrecked, either sunk or beached. Whatever the cause, a sunken ship or a wrecked ship is a physical example of the event: this explains why the two concepts are often overlapping in English....
s since 1990 resulting in the identification of over 30 wreck sites. In 1996, Barnette founded the Association of Underwater Explorers (AUE) to expand the knowledge base of submerged cultural resources
Archaeology
Archaeology, or archeology , is the study of human society, primarily through the recovery and analysis of the material culture and environmental data that they have left behind, which includes artifacts, architecture, biofacts and cultural landscapes...
.
Expeditions and projects
A B-25c MitchellB-25 Mitchell
The North American B-25 Mitchell was an American twin-engined medium bomber manufactured by North American Aviation. It was used by many Allied air forces, in every theater of World War II, as well as many other air forces after the war ended, and saw service across four decades.The B-25 was named...
bomber was ditched on 4 April 1943 and remained 45 metres (147.6 ft) below the surface of Lake Murray (South Carolina)
Lake Murray (South Carolina)
Lake Murray is a reservoir in the U.S. state of South Carolina. It is approximately 50,000 acres in size, and has roughly 500 miles of shoreline. It was impounded in the late 1920s to provide hydroelectric power to the state of South Carolina. Lake Murray is fed by the Saluda River, which flows...
for 60 years. The recovery effort was headed by Dr. Robert Seigler and supervised by Gary Larkins of the Air Pirates. Barnette participated in the recovery effort with divers from AUE, the Rubicon Foundation
Rubicon Foundation
Rubicon Foundation, Inc. is a non-profit organization devoted to contributing to the interdependent dynamic between research, exploration, science and education. The foundation, started in 2002, is located in Durham, North Carolina and is primarily supported by donations and grants. Funding has...
, and Woodville Karst Plain Project
Woodville Karst Plain Project
The Woodville Karst Plain Project or WKPP, grew out of a cave diving research and exploration group established in 1985 and incorporated in 1990 to map the underwater cave systems underlying the Woodville Karst Plain, a area...
in 2005. The project was documented by the History Channel and televised on their show Mega Movers
Mega Movers
Mega Movers is a television program on The History Channel. It first aired on April 18, 2006.The program details the preparations and inside problems and details of large moves, such as historical buildings being relocated to new sites miles away , oil derricks and such like difficult moves Mega...
. The plane is being preserved by the Southern Museum of Flight
Southern Museum of Flight
The Southern Museum of Flight is an aviation museum located three blocks east of the Birmingham-Shuttlesworth International Airport in Birmingham, Alabama. It features a valuable collection of aviation artifacts spanning the 20th century in the various areas of aviation. It explores eight decades...
in Birmingham, Alabama
Birmingham, Alabama
Birmingham is the largest city in Alabama. The city is the county seat of Jefferson County. According to the 2010 United States Census, Birmingham had a population of 212,237. The Birmingham-Hoover Metropolitan Area, in estimate by the U.S...
. This project carried Explorers Club flag number 103.
In 2006, Barnette participated in the History Channel's expedition to the HMHS Britannic
HMHS Britannic
HMHS Britannic was the third and largest of the White Star Line. She was the sister ship of and , and was intended to enter service as a transatlantic passenger liner. She was launched just before the start of the First World War and was laid up at her builders in Belfast for many months before...
led by explorers John Chatterton
John Chatterton
John Chatterton is one of the world’s most accomplished and well known wreck divers. Together with Richie Kohler, he was one of the co-hosts for the History Channel’s Deep Sea Detectives where they have completed work on 57 episodes of this successful series...
and Richie Kohler
Richie kohler
Richie Kohler is an experienced technical wreck diver and shipwreck historian who has been diving and exploring shipwrecks since 1980. Together with John Chatterton, Kohler was one of the co-hosts of the television series Deep Sea Detectives on the History Channel and is also a consultant for the...
. "RMS Titanic's Achilles Heel" was the first documentary
Documentary film
Documentary films constitute a broad category of nonfictional motion pictures intended to document some aspect of reality, primarily for the purposes of instruction or maintaining a historical record...
to be released from this expedition on June 17, 2007. "Titanic's Tragic Sister" also featured details from this expedition and first aired
Broadcasting
Broadcasting is the distribution of audio and video content to a dispersed audience via any audio visual medium. Receiving parties may include the general public or a relatively large subset of thereof...
on October 14, 2007.
Barnette's recovery of Oculina varicosa
Ivory Bush Coral
The ivory bush coral is a U.S. National Marine Fisheries Service species of concern. Species of concern are those species about which the U.S...
from the Gulf of Mexico
Gulf of Mexico
The Gulf of Mexico is a partially landlocked ocean basin largely surrounded by the North American continent and the island of Cuba. It is bounded on the northeast, north and northwest by the Gulf Coast of the United States, on the southwest and south by Mexico, and on the southeast by Cuba. In...
in 2006 allowed researchers to confirm this species of concern
Species of Concern
In wildlife conservation, Species of Concern is an informal term, not defined in the federal Endangered Species Act. The term commonly refers to species that are declining or appear to be in need of concentrated conservation actions. Many agencies and organizations maintain lists of these at-risk...
's existence in abundance in the Gulf. In 2009, Barnette returned to collect coral samples for testing that identified the species is genetically identical to Oculina varicosa
Ivory Bush Coral
The ivory bush coral is a U.S. National Marine Fisheries Service species of concern. Species of concern are those species about which the U.S...
found off the eastern coast of Florida.
When the Eagle's Nest cave
Cave
A cave or cavern is a natural underground space large enough for a human to enter. The term applies to natural cavities some part of which is in total darkness. The word cave also includes smaller spaces like rock shelters, sea caves, and grottos.Speleology is the science of exploration and study...
system needed new guidelines
Distance line
A distance line, penetration line or guideline is an item of diving equipment used by SCUBA divers as a means of returning to a safe starting point in conditions of low visibility, water currents or where pilotage is difficult...
in 2007, Barnette and AUE took on the task replacing the old line as well as removing unnecessary lines.
In 2009, Barnette participated in a search for missing Women Airforce Service Pilots
Women Airforce Service Pilots
The Women Airforce Service Pilots and its predecessor groups the Women's Flying Training Detachment and the Women's Auxiliary Ferrying Squadron were pioneering organizations of civilian female pilots employed to fly military aircraft under the direction of the United States Army Air Forces...
(WASP) Gertrude Tompkins Silver with divers, explorers and aviation archaeologists
Aviation archaeology
Aviation archaeology is a recognized sub-discipline within archaeology and underwater archaeology as a whole. It is an activity practiced by both enthusiasts and academics in pursuit of finding, documenting, recovering, and preserving sites important in aviation history...
from the Missing Aircraft Search Team (MAST). Silver was the last WASP to go missing in World War II. She made a flight from Mines Field (currently LAX) to Palm Springs on October 26, 1944, intending to fly a P-51 Mustang
P-51 Mustang
The North American Aviation P-51 Mustang was an American long-range, single-seat fighter and fighter-bomber used during World War II, the Korean War and in several other conflicts...
on to New Jersey, but never arrived in Palm Springs. The search for Silver's aircraft continues.
In 2010, Barnette filmed underwater segments for a TLC
TLC (TV channel)
TLC is an American cable TV specialty channel which initially focused on educational content. Since 1991 TLC has been owned by Discovery Communications, the same company that operates the Discovery Channel, Animal Planet and The Science Channel, as well as other learning-themed networks...
television special on the Bermuda Triangle
Bermuda Triangle
The Bermuda Triangle, also known as the Devil's Triangle, is a region in the western part of the North Atlantic Ocean where a number of aircraft and surface vessels allegedly disappeared under mysterious circumstances....
.
Shipwreck identification
- The steamer Arratoon Apcar
- The yacht Esmeralda
- The tug Gwalia
- The tanker Joseph M Cudhay
- The steamer Leif Eriksson
- The tanker Munger T. Ball
- The luxury yacht Nohab
- The tanker PapoosePapoose (tanker)SS Papoose was an oil tanker built in 1921 by the Southwestern Shipbuilding in San Pedro, California as SS Silvanus. As Silvanus, the ship was under Dutch ownership in 1926 when it collided with the tanker in the Mississippi River, resulting in the death of 26 seamen. The Silvanus was declared a...
- The steamer Peconic
- The tug Point Chicot
- The Queen of NassauHMCS CanadaCGS Canada was a Canadian Government Ship that served as a patrol ship in the Fisheries Protection Service of Canada, an enforcement agency that was part of the Department of Marine and Fisheries. She is considered to the nucleus of the Royal Canadian Navy for her role in training Canadian naval...
- The tanker San Delfino
- The schooner barge Vitric
- The freighter Jeano Express
- U.S. Coast Guard AlbatrossHU-16 AlbatrossThe Grumman HU-16 Albatross is a large twin-radial engine amphibious flying boat that was utilized by the U.S. Air Force, the U.S. Navy and the U.S. Coast Guard, primarily as a search and rescue and combat search and rescue aircraft...
#1240 - The tanker W.E. Hutton
- The steamer Valley CityUSS Valley City (1859)USS Valley City was a 190-ton steamer acquired by the Union Navy for service in the American Civil War.Valley City was outfitted as a gunship and served blockade duty as well as performing surveillance duty....
- The whaleback steamer City of EverettSS City of EverettThe SS City of Everett was an important whaleback steamship. She sailed from 1894 until 1923, and was the first U.S. Steamship to pass through the Suez Canal, as well as the first to circumnavigate the globe...
- The paddle steamer Idaho
- The schooner Millie Bohannon
- The freighter Holstein
- The tanker Pan Massachusetts
- The steamer Acorn
- The sailboat Kringeline