Join the sanctuary for another adventure in maritime history — an exploration of Captain Kidd’s 1699 shipwreck, the Quedagh Merchant, and the efforts to preserve its rich history.

Tonight at 7 p.m. at Great Lakes Maritime Heritage Center, Professor Charles Beeker, archaeologist and director of Indiana University’s Center for Underwater Science and Academic Diving Program, will discuss the development of the Living Museums in the Sea (LMS) model and its implementation around the Dominican Republic.

Living Museums in the Sea is a conservation model that promotes the study and protection of submerged cultural resources while encouraging ecological resiliency, public outreach, and sustainable tourism. In collaboration with local, national, and international stakeholders, Indiana University (IU) established the first network of LMS sites in the southeastern Dominican Republic in 2011 — including the real shipwreck of Captain Kidd’s 1699 Quedagh Merchant — and is currently working to establish a second network of sites in Punta Cana.

Charles Beeker is the director of Indiana University’s Academic Diving Program and the founding director of Indiana University’s Center for Underwater Science. He is a Registered Professional Archaeologist and a specialist on underwater parks and preserves. Throughout his career, he has worked in the Great Lakes, Florida Keys, California, Cayman Islands, and Dominican Republic to create Marine Protected Areas and educate the public about the importance of protecting submerged cultural resources.