Ring the Biscayne Channel Sea Bell!

Ring the Biscayne Channel Sea Bell!. . In 1900, a bell buoy (like the one to the left) was installed in Biscayne Channel at the north end of Biscayne National Park near Key Biscayne. In clear, daytime weather, mariners could see the buoy that marked one of the primary entrances to Biscayne Bay. At night or in poor weather, rocking seas caused the bell to ring out warning of shallow water. Sometime between 1930 and 1934, the bell buoy sank at its mooring where it remained for over 80 years., Rediscovery , The bell was initially discovered and documented by National Park Service archeologists in 1997, after which the site was routinely visited by staff to monitor for any deterioration. During a site visit in May of 2015, the bell's orientation had shifted to an upright position and was no longer stuck in the sea floor. Although potentially caused by natural deterioration, the likelihood and suspicion of attempted looting was enough to take preventative action., Recovery , Raising a 300-pound bell from 15 feet below the surface is no easy task. Archeologists in SCUBA gear first had to raise the sunken buoy about 3 feet by attaching bags to it and filling the bags with air. Once the buoy was partially raised. they could raise the bell using a winch from the boat above., Restoration , The original bronze and iron bell was immediately cleaned and placed into an electrolysis tank to stabilize it and prevent deterioration. It was fully documented, photographed and professionally restored before this replica was cast. The original is at the National Park Service's Southeast Archaeological Center in Tallahassee, Florida... protected forever.