World Oceans Day offers opportunity to reflect on program success

Charles Beeker

As part of World Oceans Day festivities, Charles Beeker, Director of the Office of Underwater Science and Academic Diving and associate clinical professor of kinesiology in the IU School of Public Health-Bloomington, recently provided updates on his various expeditions. 

With over 20 years of experience conducting underwater archeological investigations in the waters of the Caribbean, he has been instrumental in the establishment of Living Museums specifically in the Dominican Republic protecting both history and the surrounding environments while encouraging sustainable tourism. 

Officially recognized by the United Nations in 2008, the celebration of World Oceans Day on June 8th brings together environmentalists, educators, and enthusiasts to celebrate the worlds ocean’s, educate the public on our impact, and generate a worldwide movement to mobilize projects for their sustainable management. 

Want to learn more about Professor Beeker’s work?

Watch video from a recent expedition to the Dominican Republic, where his team continued to search for artifacts from the 1725 sinking of the Spanish galleon Begoña . 
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Watch video about the discovery and identification of Capt. Kidd's last conquest, the Quedagh Merchant (also called the Cara Merchant).

Read about his latest investigation of a shipwreck believed to be the wreck of the Santa Maria, the flagship of Christopher Columbus' initial voyage to the Americas in 1492.