Overview

• Purdue University and the Purdue Research Foundation confirmed they will join an Archaeological Legacy Institute–led, roughly 15-person mission that mobilizes Oct. 30 and sails from Majuro on Nov. 4 for several days of work at Nikumaroro.
• Three Purdue representatives — Sirisha Bandla, Marc Hagle and Steve Schultz — will participate alongside ALI researchers in the focused search.
• The effort centers on the Taraia Object in Nikumaroro’s lagoon, first spotted in 2020 satellite imagery and visible in aerial photos dating to 1938.
• Plans call for pre-disturbance video and stills, magnetometer and sonar surveys, and, if warranted, underwater excavation with a hydraulic dredge, plus shoreline checks for washed-up debris.
• ALI cites prior findings at Nikumaroro and argues the case is strong, while emphasizing that identification and any recovery remain unconfirmed until on-site investigation; Purdue will share a four-part podcast on Oct. 20 and daily updates starting Nov. 3.