David Louis Mearns (born 10 August 1958) is an American-born United Kingdom based marine scientist and

oceanographer Oceanography (), also known as oceanology, sea science, ocean science, and marine science, is the scientific study of the ocean, including its physics, chemistry, biology, and geology. It is an Earth science, which covers a wide range of top ...

, who specializes in deep water search and recovery operations, and the discovery of the location of historic

shipwrecks A shipwreck is the wreckage of a ship that is located either beached on land or sunken to the bottom of a body of water. It results from the event of ''shipwrecking'', which may be intentional or unintentional. There were approximately thre ...

Early life

Mearns was raised in

Weehawken, New Jersey Weehawken is a township in the northern part of Hudson County, in the U.S. state of New Jersey. It is located on the Hudson Waterfront and Hudson Palisades overlooking the Hudson River. As of the 2020 United States census, the township's po ...

, where he attended

Weehawken High School Weehawken High School is a six-year comprehensive public high school that serves students in seventh through twelfth grade from Weehawken in Hudson County, in the U.S. state of New Jersey, operating as part of the Weehawken School District. T ...

, graduating in 1976. He subsequently graduated B.Sc. in Marine Biology from

Fairleigh Dickinson University Fairleigh Dickinson University () is a private university with its main campuses in New Jersey, located in Madison / Florham Park and in Teaneck / Hackensack. Founded in 1942, Fairleigh Dickinson University offers more than 100 degree prog ...

in 1980, and obtained a masters degree in Marine Geology from the

University of South Florida The University of South Florida (USF) is a Public university, public research university with its main campus located in Tampa, Florida, Tampa, Florida, United States, and other campuses in St. Petersburg, Florida, St. Petersburg and Sarasota, ...

in 1986.

Oceanographic career

From 1986 to 1995 Mearns was employed in the commercial undersea surveying industry in a managerial capacity. In 1990 he worked on the criminal investigation into the deliberate sinking of the freighter ''

Lucona ''MV Lucona'' was a cargo ship that sank in the Indian Ocean after a powerful time bomb hidden on board exploded. The blast on 23 January 1977 resulted in the death of six people. Six others survived. The motive was insurance fraud. The subsequen ...

'' by a time bomb, and in 1994 located the wreck of the

ore-bulk-oil carrier An ore-bulk-oil carrier, also known as combination carrier or OBO, is a ship designed to be capable of carrying wet or dry cargoes. The idea is to reduce the number of empty (ballast) voyages, in which large ships only carry a cargo one way and re ...

. Relocating to England in the mid 1990s, he established ''Blue Water Recoveries, Limited'', a commercial company that locates and researches historic deep-sea shipwrecks across the globe. In 2001, to coincide with the 60th anniversary of the

Battle of the Denmark Strait The Battle of the Denmark Strait was a naval engagement in the Second World War, which took place on 24 May 1941 between ships of the Royal Navy and the ''Kriegsmarine''. The British battleship and the battlecruiser fought the German battlesh ...

high seas confrontation between the naval forces of the

British Empire The British Empire comprised the dominions, Crown colony, colonies, protectorates, League of Nations mandate, mandates, and other Dependent territory, territories ruled or administered by the United Kingdom and its predecessor states. It bega ...

and

Nazi Germany Nazi Germany, officially known as the German Reich and later the Greater German Reich, was the German Reich, German state between 1933 and 1945, when Adolf Hitler and the Nazi Party controlled the country, transforming it into a Totalit ...

during World War II, Mearns successfully led an expedition funded by

Channel 4 Television Channel 4 is a British free-to-air public broadcast television channel owned and operated by Channel Four Television Corporation. It is publicly owned but, unlike the BBC, it receives no public funding and is funded entirely by its commercia ...

to locate and film on the seabed of the

North Atlantic Ocean The Atlantic Ocean is the second largest of the world's five oceanic divisions, with an area of about . It covers approximately 17% of Earth's surface and about 24% of its water surface area. During the Age of Discovery, it was known for se ...

the wrecks of the Royal Navy flagship , and its nemesis, the ''Bismarck''. An extended television documentary entitled ''The Hunt for the Hood'' was produced from the expedition. In 2012 Mearns led an expedition, filmed for a British television documentary entitled ''How the Bismarck Sank HMS Hood'', to re-visit the wreck of HMS ''Hood'' to facilitate study of the technical aspects of the warship's destruction. Mearns and Blue Water Recoveries Ltd. holds five

Guinness World Records ''Guinness World Records'', known from its inception in 1955 until 1999 as ''The Guinness Book of Records'' and in previous United States editions as ''The Guinness Book of World Records'', is a British reference book published annually, list ...

, including one for the deepest shipwreck ever found, the German

blockade runner A blockade runner is a merchant vessel used for evading a naval blockade of a port or strait. It is usually light and fast, using stealth and speed rather than confronting the blockaders in order to break the blockade. Blockade runners usua ...

''Rio Grande'', which was located at a depth of . In 2008 Mearns led a search team to find the Australian cruiser and the German auxiliary cruiser ''Kormoran'', which both sank following an

engagement An engagement or betrothal is the period of time between the declaration of acceptance of a marriage proposal and the marriage itself (which is typically but not always commenced with a wedding). During this period, a couple is said to be ''f ...

off

Western Australia Western Australia (WA) is the westernmost state of Australia. It is bounded by the Indian Ocean to the north and west, the Southern Ocean to the south, the Northern Territory to the north-east, and South Australia to the south-east. Western Aust ...

in 1941 during World War 2. Prior to finding HMAS ''Sydney'', Mearns said that it was, in some ways, "bigger than the ''

Titanic RMS ''Titanic'' was a British ocean liner that sank in the early hours of 15 April 1912 as a result of striking an iceberg on her maiden voyage from Southampton, England, to New York City, United States. Of the estimated 2,224 passengers a ...

''" because of what it meant to Australia. "Nothing comes close to the ''Sydney''." At the end of 2010, he successfully led the search for another missing Australian shipwreck, the Hospital Ship ''Centaur'', which was torpedoed off

Queensland Queensland ( , commonly abbreviated as Qld) is a States and territories of Australia, state in northeastern Australia, and is the second-largest and third-most populous state in Australia. It is bordered by the Northern Territory, South Austr ...

by a Japanese submarine in 1943. On 1 November 2010, Mearns was awarded an honorary

Medal of the Order of Australia The Order of Australia is an Australian honour that recognises Australian citizens and other persons for outstanding achievement and service. It was established on 14 February 1975 by Elizabeth II, Queen of Australia, on the advice of then ...

in recognition of his work in locating and analyzing the wrecks of HMAS ''Sydney'' and AHS ''Centaur''. On 3 March 2015, Mearns was part of a team led by

Microsoft Microsoft Corporation is an American multinational corporation and technology company, technology conglomerate headquartered in Redmond, Washington. Founded in 1975, the company became influential in the History of personal computers#The ear ...

co-founder

Paul Allen Paul Gardner Allen (January 21, 1953 – October 15, 2018) was an American businessman, computer programmer, and investor. He co-founded Microsoft, Microsoft Corporation with his childhood friend Bill Gates in 1975, which was followed by the ...

which located the wreck of the Japanese battleship '' Musashi'' in the

Sibuyan Sea The Sibuyan Sea is a small sea in the Philippines separating Luzon and the Visayas. It is bounded by the island of Panay to the south, Mindoro to the west, Masbate to the east, and to the north Marinduque and the Bicol Peninsula of Luzon. ...

. On 15 March 2016, Mearns jointly announced with the Ministry of Heritage & Culture of the Government of

Oman Oman, officially the Sultanate of Oman, is a country located on the southeastern coast of the Arabian Peninsula in West Asia and the Middle East. It shares land borders with Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, and Yemen. Oman’s coastline ...

the discovery of a shipwreck from Vasco da Gama's 4th Portuguese India Armada in 1502-1503. The wreck is believed to be the Portuguese ''nau Esmeralda'' that was commanded by

Vicente Sodré Vicente Sodré (c. 1465 – 30 April 1503) was a 16th-century Anglo Portuguese knight of Order of Christ and the captain of the first Portuguese naval patrol in the Indian Ocean. He was an uncle of Portuguese explorer Vasco da Gama. Back ...

, the maternal uncle of Vasco da Gama. Having sunk in May 1503, the ''Esmeralda'' is believed to be the earliest ship from Europe's

Age of Discovery The Age of Discovery (), also known as the Age of Exploration, was part of the early modern period and overlapped with the Age of Sail. It was a period from approximately the 15th to the 17th century, during which Seamanship, seafarers fro ...

ever to be found and excavated by archaeologists. Mearns published a paper, with co-authors D. Parham and B. Frohlich, on the discovery in the

International Journal of Nautical Archaeology The Nautical Archaeology Society (NAS) is a charity registered in England and WalesCharity Commission
...

. Since 2003, Mearns has been studying the possible wreck location of Sir Ernest Shackleton's ''

Endurance Endurance (also related to sufferance, forbearance, resilience, constitution, fortitude, persistence, tenacity, steadfastness, perseverance, stamina, and hardiness) is the ability of an organism to exert itself and remain active for a ...

'', which was lost during the

Imperial Trans-Antarctic Expedition The Imperial Trans-Antarctic Expedition of 1914–1917 is considered to be the last major expedition of the Heroic Age of Antarctic Exploration. Conceived by Ernest Shackleton, Sir Ernest Shackleton, the expedition was an attempt to make the ...

to the South Pole in 1915. Together with Lars Bergman and Robin Stuart, Mearns conducted new analysis of the final sinking position of Endurance's shipwreck based upon a re-analysis of the original lunar occultation timings made by Reginald James and

Frank Worsley Frank Arthur Worsley (22 February 1872 – 1 February 1943) was a New Zealand sailor and explorer who served on Ernest Shackleton's Imperial Trans-Antarctic Expedition of 1914–1916, as captain of ''Endurance''. He also served in the Royal ...

. Mearns delivered the

Royal Institute of Navigation The Royal Institute of Navigation (RIN) is a learned society and a professional body for navigation. The RIN was founded in 1947 as a forum for mariners, pilots, engineers and academics to compare their experiences and exchange information. Toda ...

2022 EGR Taylor Lecture on their analysis. Bergman, Mearns and Stuart were awarded a special Certificate of Achievement by the Royal Institute of Navigation "in recognition of their pioneering data analysis and modelling leading to the successful location of Endurance's wreck". In January 2019, Mearns was commissioned to locate a light-aircraft (carrying the professional footballer

Emiliano Sala Emiliano Raúl Sala Taffarel (; 31 October 1990 – 21 January 2019) was an Argentine professional association football, footballer who played as a striker (association football), striker. After playing youth football in Argentina and following ...

and pilot, David Ibbotson) which had disappeared whilst flying across the

English Channel The English Channel, also known as the Channel, is an arm of the Atlantic Ocean that separates Southern England from northern France. It links to the southern part of the North Sea by the Strait of Dover at its northeastern end. It is the busi ...

. On 3 February 2019 the search team led by Mearns located the wreck of the aircraft lying in waters around the

Channel Islands The Channel Islands are an archipelago in the English Channel, off the French coast of Normandy. They are divided into two Crown Dependencies: the Jersey, Bailiwick of Jersey, which is the largest of the islands; and the Bailiwick of Guernsey, ...

. Mearns was a lead member of a

Royal Canadian Geographical Society The Royal Canadian Geographical Society (RCGS; French: ''Société géographique royale du Canada'') is a Canadian nonprofit educational organization. It has dedicated itself to spreading a broader knowledge and deeper appreciation of Canada, i ...

team that discovered the wreckage of the

Quest A quest is a journey toward a specific mission or a goal. It serves as a plot device in mythology and fiction: a difficult journey towards a goal, often symbolic or allegorical. Tales of quests figure prominently in the folklore of every nat ...

, the polar exploration vessel of the

Shackleton–Rowett Expedition The Shackleton–Rowett Expedition (1921–22) was Sir Ernest Shackleton's last Antarctic project, and the final episode in the Heroic Age of Antarctic Exploration. The venture, financed by John Quiller Rowett, is sometimes referred to as t ...

of 1921–1922 on which

Sir Ernest Shackleton Sir Ernest Henry Shackleton (15 February 1874 – 5 January 1922) was an Anglo-Irish Antarctic explorer who led three British expeditions to the Antarctic. He was one of the principal figures of the period known as the Heroic Age of Antarc ...

died in 1922. The wreck was found in 390 metres of water on the seabed of the

Labrador Sea The Labrador Sea (; ) is an arm of the North Atlantic Ocean between the Labrador Peninsula and Greenland. The sea is flanked by continental shelf, continental shelves to the southwest, northwest, and northeast. It connects to the north with Baffi ...

approximately 85 kilometres off Labrador's south coast, sitting almost upright, and appearing to be broadly intact.

Personal life

Mearns lives in the

West Sussex West Sussex is a Ceremonial counties of England, ceremonial county in South East England. It is bordered by Surrey to the north, East Sussex to the east, the English Channel to the south, and Hampshire to the west. The largest settlement is Cr ...

village of

Lodsworth Lodsworth is a small village, ecclesiastical parish and civil parish in the Chichester District, Chichester Districts of England, district of West Sussex, England. It is situated between Midhurst and Petworth, half a mile north of the A272 road, ...

. He is a fellow of the

Royal Geographical Society The Royal Geographical Society (with the Institute of British Geographers), often shortened to RGS, is a learned society and professional body for geography based in the United Kingdom. Founded in 1830 for the advancement of geographical scien ...

and the

Explorers' Club The Explorers Club is an American-based international multidisciplinary professional society with the goal of promoting scientific exploration and field study. The club was founded in New York City in 1904 and has served as a meeting point for ex ...

Awards and honours

*2025:

King Charles III Coronation Medal The King Charles III Coronation Medal () is a commemorative medal created to mark the coronation of King Charles III and Queen Camilla, which took place on 6 May 2023. The UK issued more than 400,000 coronation medals, awarded to individuals who ...

for a Significant Contribution to Canada *2025:

Order of the British Empire The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is a British order of chivalry, rewarding valuable service in a wide range of useful activities. It comprises five classes of awards across both civil and military divisions, the most senior two o ...

OBE for services to the Location and Recovery of Historic Shipwrecks *2024: Joseph Elzéar Bernier Medal,

*2024: QUEST Medal,

*2024: Honorary Fellow of the

*2023: Certificate of Achievement,

*2019: Lowell Thomas Award, The

Explorers Club The Explorers Club is an American-based international multidisciplinary professional society with the goal of promoting scientific exploration and field study. The club was founded in New York City in 1904 and has served as a meeting point for ex ...

*2019: Global Leadership Award,

*2018: Mountbatten Best Book Award for ''The Shipwreck Hunter'' *2018: Society for Nautical Research Certificate of Merit for ''The Shipwreck Hunter'' *2015: Sir Robert Craven Award, Britannia Naval Research Association *2011: Distinguished Alumni Award,

*2010: Maritime Fellowship Award, UK Maritime Foundation *2010: Honorary Medal of the Order of Australia OAM for service to Australia *1995: Seatrade Awards Safety at Sea Commendation for the MV ''Derbyshire'' Search Project

Books

* ''Hood and Bismarck'' (Pub. Channel 4, London) 2001. * ''The Search for the Sydney'' (Pub. HarperCollins) 2009. * ''The Shipwreck Hunter'' (Pub. Allen & Unwin) 2017. * ''The Sinking of H.M.A.S. Sydney'' (Pub. HarperCollins) 2018.

References

External links

''David Mearns' Twitter account''

''Blue Water Recoveries''
(official website)

''

The Australian ''The Australian'', with its Saturday edition ''The Weekend Australian'', is a broadsheet daily newspaper published by News Corp Australia since 14 July 1964. As the only Australian daily newspaper distributed nationally, its readership of b ...

'' (April 11, 2008) {{DEFAULTSORT:Mearns, David American emigrants to the United Kingdom American oceanographers Honorary recipients of the Medal of the Order of Australia Living people Maritime archaeology Fairleigh Dickinson University alumni People from Weehawken, New Jersey University of South Florida alumni Weehawken High School alumni People from Lodsworth 1958 births Officers of the Order of the British Empire Naturalised citizens of the United Kingdom