Discovery made in the US Gulf ... but this time it's not oil or gas

The US Minerals Management Service is charged by the federal government to manage the nation's oil, gas and other mineral resources, be it found on land or under the sea. Sometimes, however, that stewardship extends to historical treasures, like the shipwreck found last month in the Gulf of Mexico, writes Anthony Guegel.

Archaeologists working under contract to the MMS have discovered what is believed to be the remains of a wooden-hulled British merchant sailing ship, the Western Empire, which sank more than 126 years ago in 1300 feet of water off Louisiana.

Researchers from the MMS and Texas A&M University used remotely operated cameras and a one-man, non-tethered submersible called Deepworker 2000 -- donated to the project by Deep Marine Technology of Houston -- to videotape the wreck for later analysis.

Weekly

Discovery made in the US Gulf ... but this time it's not oil or gas