Stephen Nagiewicz, archeologist, explorer and an acknowledged authority on shipwrecks and highly respected for his scuba diving experiences, will be the first speak of the 2024 Speaker Season of the Atlantic Highlands Historical Society on Wednesday, April 24 at 7:30 p.m.
The Series is a free event and is held at the Atlantic Highlands Museum, on E. Mount Ave. Guests are encouraged to bring a non-perishable food item or baby product for the local food pantry.
Nagiewicz, a retired high school science teacher and current adjunct professor of Marine Science at Stockton College, will speak on the Privateers of New Jersey and the Battle of Chestnut Neck at Mullica River (now known as Port Republic).
Since many of the Revolutionary War battles were fought on the water there have been numerous shipwrecks from both Patriots and British force found through the years. The archeologist and diver will discuss locating and mapping these vessels in the Mullica River, reportedly some of the oldest known shipwrecks in New Jersey.
Nagiewicz is a licensed ship Master with more than 40 years’ experience scuba diving. He is the former Executive Director and Fellow of the Explorers Club, a Fellow of the Royal Geographic Society, and a member of the American Academy of Underwater Sciences, Society for Historical Archaeology, Nautical Archaeology Society, and the Register of Professional Archaeologists. The explorer has also managed the State of New Jersey’s Marine Sciences Laboratory at Sandy Hook.
Nagiewicz holds a master’s degree from Stockton University is in their School of Natural Sciences teaching courses in Marine Archaeology, Marine Underwater Technology, and Maritime History.
He has been featured on episodes of National Geographic, Discovery Channel, Science Channel, PBS, Drive by History, Divers Down TV, and Dive Wreck Valley television shows. He is considered an expert commentator on many marine topics for breaking television news stories, has written five books on maritime history and underwater archaeology including Hidden History of Maritime New Jersey and is co-author of the University of Florida Press.
He also wrote ROBERT J. WALKER. The History and Archaeology of Steamship of a U.S. Coast Survey Steamship, Citizen Science in Maritime Archaeology, and contributed to the edited volume; International Horseshoe Crab Conservation and Research Efforts, 2007-2020 and the Foreword: Hell Job, Series by L. Ron Hubbard (International Reprint 2014). Nagiewicz has also authored and co-authored several academic publications about maritime history.
