Deep Waters, Murky Laws: Titanic's Saga of Salvage and Protection

July 3, 2023

Titanic's mysteries: Legal battles resurface.

In this reaired episode, Peter Ravella and Tyler Buckingham are joined by Ole Varmer, the retired NOAA attorney who garnered the nickname and reputation as the government's "shipwreck guy" for specializing in the law governing the historic preservation and salvage of shipwrecks. With recent events surrounding the Titanic, including the disappearance of the submersible Titan during an expedition to view the wreck, our discussion becomes even more relevant. We delve into the captivating case of the RMS Titanic, exploring the private salvage companies' interest in preserving and exploiting the ship and its artifacts. Ole Varmer, with his three decades of experience, played a crucial role in the international agreements, implementing guidelines, and ongoing federal litigation regarding the Titanic. Join us as we unravel the intricate laws and treaties that govern ship salvage and preservation, contemplate the future of the Titanic, and ponder who holds the reins when it comes to culturally significant shipwrecks. Get ready for an enthralling episode from the depths of the Atlantic, brought to you with a timely perspective.

On 18 June 2023, Titan, a submersible operated by American tourism and expeditions company OceanGate, imploded during an expedition to view the wreck of the Titanic in the North Atlantic Ocean off the coast of Newfoundland, Canada.
Show Transcription
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Peter Ravella & Tyler Buckingham

Peter and Tyler joined forces in 2015 and from the first meeting began discussing a project that would become Coastal News Today and the American Shoreline Podcast Network. At the time, Peter and Tyler were coastal consultants for Pete’s firm, PAR Consulting, LLC. In that role, they worked with coastal communities in Texas, Florida, and North Carolina, engaged in grant writing, coastal project development, shoreline erosion and land use planning, permitting, and financial planning for communities undertaking big beach restoration projects. Between and among their consulting tasks, they kept talking and kept building the idea of CNT & ASPN. In almost every arena they worked, public engagement played a central role. They spent thousands of hours talking with coastal stakeholders, like business owners, hotel operators, condo managers, watermen, property owners, enviros, surfers, and fishermen. They dived deep into the value, meaning, and responsibility for the American shoreline, segment-by-segment. Common threads emerged, themes were revealed, differences uncovered. There was a big conversation going on along the American shoreline! But, no place to have it. That's where CNT and ASPN were born.