2021 Bear Expedition

Search for U.S. Revenue Cutter Bear: Have We Found It?
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We Found U.S. Revenue Cutter Bear !

After nearly two decades of searching, NOAA Ocean Exploration, the NOAA Office of National Marine Sanctuaries' Maritime Heritage Program, the U.S. Coast Guard, and a number of academic research partners have located with "reasonable certainty" the final resting place of U.S. Revenue Cutter Bear.

Port bow of the “unidentified wreck” imaged in 2021 on the left showing similar sheathing patterns to the historic image of U.S. Revenue Cutter Bear while in dry dock in 1925.
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The starboard side of U.S. Revenue Cutter Bear in its original (1874) configuration (SS Bear). The 3D scale at the bow of the ship represents 15 feet (1-foot increments from 1 to 5 feet and then 2-foot increments from 5 to 15 feet). This model was constructed using plans from the Smithsonian Institution Archives and plans from Mystic Seaport Museum.

Modeling Bear Through the Years (1874-1963)

I was a graduate student in East Carolina University’s Maritime Studies program when NOAA Ocean Exploration offered me the opportunity to research U.S. Revenue Cutter Bear following the discovery of its wreck site in September 2021. This research became my master’s thesis, for which I extensively examined Bear’s configuration during its entire 89-year service to understand the changes made to the ship over time.

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Expedition Summary
Expedition Summary
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Mission Log 1
Observations from the Buoy Deck of the USCGC Sycamore
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A Ship With Many Stories
A Ship With Many Stories
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Meet the Explorers
Meet the Explorers
19bear
2019 Search for the U.S. Revenue Cutter Bear
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