Undersea Research Associates (URA)
Undersea Research Associates is the organization founded and led by David Trotter. It specializes in underwater search and survey operations with a focus on maritime history. URA uses state-of-the-art side-scan sonar and underwater imaging technology to locate and document shipwrecks and submerged historical sites, offering high-resolution bottom profiling, underwater site surveys, and photographic documentation.
Role and Activities
- Leadership and Team: Trotter serves as Captain and chief investor of the URA team, which includes a group of skilled divers and sonar operators.
- Exploration Focus: URA focuses on Great Lakes maritime history, searching vast areas of lake bottoms to find long-lost shipwrecks. They blend technical sonar scanning with diving and historical research.
- Public Outreach: The group also presents findings to the public through talks, presentations, and multimedia programs.
Notable Discoveries
Undersea Research Associates, under Trotter’s direction, has been involved in locating and exploring numerous historically significant shipwrecks, including but not limited to:
- The SS James Carruthers, found in Lake Huron (discovered 2025), a large freighter sunk in the Great Storm of 1913.
- The Steamer Hydrus, missing for over a century from Lake Huron, part of the Great Storm of 1913 ship losses.
- The Keystone State, a 19th-century side-wheel steamer.
- Various other wrecks including schooners, steamers, and even aircraft.
Impact
Trotter and URA have significantly contributed to understanding Great Lakes maritime history by:
- Locating long-missing vessels, bringing closure to historical mysteries.
- Providing underwater documentation and imagery that preserves these sites for education and research.
- Supporting recreational and technical diving interest by opening new dive sites and sharing explorations.
In short, David Trotter and the Undersea Research Associates are among the most prominent figures in Great Lakes shipwreck discovery, blending technology, diving skill, and historical research to uncover and document submerged maritime heritage.