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Donald H Keith
Chief Scientist and Principal Investigator
Ships of Exploration & Discovery

Donald earned a graduate degree from Texas A&M's Institute of Nautical Archeology and co-founded Ships of Exploration & Discovery in 1989. A diver since his youth, Donald has directed field research from the Bahamas to Panama and has participated in shipwreck investigations in more than a dozen foreign countries. From 1980-1988 he directed the excavation, analysis and conservation of the Molasses Reef wreck, the oldest shipwreck found in the Americas. The need for a home for the conserved artifacts spurred the establishment of the Turks & Caicos National Museum in 1991, where he is still a Trustee.

Toni L Carrell
Co-Principal Investigator
Ships of Exploration & Discovery

Toni joined Ships of Discovery in 1990 after having worked as an underwater archaeologist for the US National Park Service’s Submerged Cultural Resources Unit for many years. Pursuing an interest in hull construction, her extensive experience investigating shipwrecks from the 1600s to WWII led to field direction of the excavation of the La Salle shipwreck, La Belle for the Texas Historical Commission in 1997. The La Belle project formed the bases of her doctorial thesis, and earned her doctoral degree from St. Andrews University, Scotland in 2002.

Nigel Sadler
Turks & Caicos National Museum

Nigel, a land archaeologist retrained in museum management, became the Director of the Turks and Caicos National Museum in 2000. He has undertaken extensive research in slave history and has published books and contributed to several publications. His extensive slave heritage research, linked with general history research, has provided a background on the Turks and Caicos in the 1830s and 1840s, giving a context for Trouvadore and its impact on the nation. Nigel is current President of the Museums Association of the Caribbean.

James Hunter
Ships of Exploration & Discovery

James has participated in the survey and excavation of a variety of shipwrecks and is currently a member of the team investigating the Civil War submarine H.L. Hunley. While employed by the U.S. Naval Historical Center, he helped organize investigations of submerged sites associated with the Penobscot Expedition of 1779, as well as a survey to locate and identify the remains of the anti-slavery schooner USS Alligator (1821). He was recently invited to serve as a team supervisor for a maritime archaeology field school hosted by Flinders University in Adelaide, South Australia. His research interests include the Spanish New World hull design from 1500 to 1850.

Jason Burns
Southeastern Archeological Research, Inc.

Jason is the first underwater archaeologist hired by the Georgia Department of Natural Resources, Historic Preservation Division. He has worked on several high profile underwater projects including the recovery of the Civil War submarine H.L. Hunley in Charleston, South Carolina and the recording of the CSS Alabama off of Cherbourg, France. Jason's research focuses on the transition from sail to steam in 19th century merchant fleets and the expansion of commerce by shipping nations after 1849.

Michael Krivor
Southeastern Archeological Research, Inc.

Michael has worked on over 90 submerged cultural resource management projects, authored over 60 reports, and presented 14 professional papers relating to the field of maritime archaeology. His areas of special interest include 17-18th century NewWorld ship construction, Western River steamboats, and Civil War wreck sites.

Randel C. Davis
Ships of Exploration and Discovery

Randel earned a Masters in underwater archaeology from Texas A & M in 1978. He has worked on many underwater projects, including the 1554 Fleet at Padre Island, the Bermuda Wreck of 1617, the Mombasa shipwreck in Kenya, and the HMS Endymion in TCI. By profession, Randy is an Emergency Medicine physician in Phoenix Arizona. Certified by NOAA in hyperbarics, he serves as the expedition's medical officer and dive physician.

Mitch Rolling
Blue Water Divers

Mitch is the expedition's small boat tender, and dive safety instructor. He is a 23 year resident of Grand Turk who has logged nearly 7500 dives on its 7000 foot WALL. He opened Blue Water Divers in 1983, and now operates  a dive shop, several dive boats, and a certified PADI dive training facility. Mitch is also an accomplished musician and leads a popular island-music group on Grand Turk. 

Levardo Talbot
TCI Department of Environment & Coastal Resources

Levardo, a certified diver, worked as a chef and boat captain before joining the TCI Department of the Environment and Coastal Resources. Born on Grand Turk, he comes from a large family, and is interested in exploring the potential links between his family and the survivors of the Trouvadore. Levardo is a volunteer member of the archeology team.

Jean-Francois Chabot
Explorer Ventures

Jean-Francois, former captain of the TC Explorer, is a French Canadian from Gaspe who grew up loving the water. In his teens he established the first windsurfing school in Quebec and learned to dive at the age of 15. He graduated from the Navigational Programme in Rimouski, Quebec and has worked in the Merchant Marine and on dive boats, spending over 10 years in the Caribbean. He also has a strong interest in marine photography and film, and is a volunteer member of the archeology team.

Jennifer Cumming
Explorer Ventures

Jennifer is originally from Calgary, Canada, and  began her career in sales after graduating with a business degree in marketing from the University of Calgary. She began diving 9 years ago after a career in marketing. Now operations Manager for Explorer Ventures Ltd, the owners of the Trouvadore expedition vessel, she uses her creative skills in underwater videography, and is a volunteer member of the archeology and documentary film teams.