What began as an analysis of marine debris in Providence Harbor for a proposed cleanup has uncovered what appears to be Rhode Island’s largest “ship graveyard.”

David Robinson, a marine archaeologist at the University of Rhode Island Graduate School of Oceanography, has determined that 26 wrecks in total are spread across a 33-acre area of Green Jacket Shoal off East Providence. Despite their age, many of the wrecks are relatively intact. Through this study, which was funded by Rhode Island Sea Grant, Robinson has also identified, with the assistance of Providence steamboat historian William H. Ewen Jr., the remains of two iconic Rhode Island paddle-wheel steamships, the Mount Hope and the Bay Queen. More information: rhodeislandseagrant@gmail.com