Conservation of Artifacts

Artifacts recovered after long immersion in salt or freshwater require conservation treatment if they are to last. On exposure to high concentrations of oxygen in the air, iron artifacts will bloom into piles of rust. Wood will crack and split if dried out improperly. Organic materials will crumble to dust.

The manual below details conservation methods for many types of materials and artifacts.


Butterflyfish

Chaetodon ocellatus

Size: juveniles 1-2"; adults to 6"

Habitat: inlets and rivers, late in the season

Notes: The adult fish is shown above, the juvenile below.

The best time to view or capture these fishes is at night when they are asleep. During the day they are wary and very quick. Nighttime coloration is completely different from daytime - dark vertical bars and blotches over the entire body.