One of our readers recently posted an article about an upcoming expedition to search for Native American sites in the Gulf of Mexico, south of the Texas-Louisiana border. The project will make use of both manned and unmanned subs (a subject I’ve become interested in lately as the story line for the third novel in my Seeds of Civilization series develops) and the vessels will be broadcasting live video back to the researchers, to universities and to 60 Boys’ and Girls’ Clubs.

The article doesn’t provide much background information on Robert D. Ballard except to mention that he’s 64 years old and that he “ located the sunken wrecks of the Titanic, PT-109 and ancient Phoenician ships …” so I decided to check him out. Ballard is one of National Geographic’s Explorers-in-Residence and they have his biography posted online at http://www.nationalgeographic.com/council/eir/bio_ballard.html. He’s also the author of at least eight books and information about them can be found on his personal Web site at http://literati.net/Ballard/.

Also mentioned in the article is Kevin McBride (the anthropologist, not the boxer) and his research interests include the prehistory and ethnohistory of eastern North America, the historic archaeology of Euro-Americans, settlement systems and paleoethnobotnay. More information about McBride can be found at http://www.pequotmuseum.org and clicking on General Information and then on Staff Biographies.

I mentioned that my fiction series had generated an interest in subs and ROVs and next week I’m hoping to visit the “home” of the Bionic Dolphin, a really unique, two-person submersible water craft. Check it out at http://www.bionicdolphin.com! And you can find more information about my novels and the Seeds of Civilization series at http://www.SeedsOfCivilization.com.

Happy Thanksgiving to all!