Examining the World War II Underwater Cultural Heritage of Maui and Lānaʻi through 3D Photogrammetric Modeling
Dublin Core
Title
Examining the World War II Underwater Cultural Heritage of Maui and Lānaʻi through 3D Photogrammetric Modeling
Description
In October 2022, archaeologists from East Carolina University and the University of California at Los Angeles investigated
underwater cultural heritage associated with World War II around the islands of Maui and Lānaʻi in Hawaiʻi. Working in
partnership with the National Geographic Society and the Ocean Exploration Trust, the team surveyed the remains of lost or
abandoned aircraft, amphibious assault vehicles, ships, and moorings associated with WWII training and staging exercises. In
keeping with Session Four’s (Underwater Cultural Heritage of World War II in the Asia-Pacific Region) focus on “discoveries,
opportunities and challenges”, the maritime heritage research centered on assessing the physical state of these WWII wreck sites
to evaluate preservation threats, while also contributing to the creation of educational resources and outreach tools. A total of
eight WWII-era sites were surveyed using photogrammetric recording methods; these include the wrecks of two US Navy
aircraft, five amphibious landing craft, a mooring station, and a semi-submerged gasoline tanker. Project members used the
collected imagery to produce 3-dimensional photo models. The models proved not only to be effective visual aids for showcasing
some of Hawaiʻi’s rich submerged maritime heritage, but also provided archaeologists with detailed site maps made in a fraction
of the time generally required. This paper examines the indelible impact left by the war on Maui and Lānaʻi through the
investigation of tangible remains of the island’s’ wartime cultural landscape.
underwater cultural heritage associated with World War II around the islands of Maui and Lānaʻi in Hawaiʻi. Working in
partnership with the National Geographic Society and the Ocean Exploration Trust, the team surveyed the remains of lost or
abandoned aircraft, amphibious assault vehicles, ships, and moorings associated with WWII training and staging exercises. In
keeping with Session Four’s (Underwater Cultural Heritage of World War II in the Asia-Pacific Region) focus on “discoveries,
opportunities and challenges”, the maritime heritage research centered on assessing the physical state of these WWII wreck sites
to evaluate preservation threats, while also contributing to the creation of educational resources and outreach tools. A total of
eight WWII-era sites were surveyed using photogrammetric recording methods; these include the wrecks of two US Navy
aircraft, five amphibious landing craft, a mooring station, and a semi-submerged gasoline tanker. Project members used the
collected imagery to produce 3-dimensional photo models. The models proved not only to be effective visual aids for showcasing
some of Hawaiʻi’s rich submerged maritime heritage, but also provided archaeologists with detailed site maps made in a fraction
of the time generally required. This paper examines the indelible impact left by the war on Maui and Lānaʻi through the
investigation of tangible remains of the island’s’ wartime cultural landscape.
Creator
Dominic Bush
Jason Raupp
Justin Dunnavant
Publisher
The Museum of Underwater Archaeology
Date
2023
Language
English
Bibliographic Citation
Bush, Dominic, Jason T. Raupp, and Justin Dunnavant. 2023. “Examining Underwater Cultural Heritage of World War II around Maui and Lanai through Photogrammetric Modeling.” Edited by Jennifer Craig, Jay Mok, T. Kurt Knoerl, and Alexis Catsambis. In Proceedings of Fifth Asia Pacific Regional Conference on Underwater Cultural Heritage: Gwangju, The Republic of Korea, November 13-18 2023. The Museum of Underwater Archaeology. URL: https://apconf.omeka.net/exhibits/show/apconfproceedings/item/1895
Files
Citation
Dominic Bush, Jason Raupp, and Justin Dunnavant , “Examining the World War II Underwater Cultural Heritage of Maui and Lānaʻi through 3D Photogrammetric Modeling,” Asia Pacific Regional Conference on Underwater Cultural Heritage Proceedings, accessed December 8, 2025, https://apconf.omeka.net/items/show/1895.