# New Expedition Investigates Amelia Earhart Disappearance on Remote Pacific Island Researchers target lagoon anomaly on Nikumaroro to solve historical aviation mystery. - **Source:** [The Independent Science](https://www.independent.co.uk/news/science/rss) - **Published:** 2026-10-14 - **Topic:** [Business](https://brifing.si/c/business) - **Original article:** - **On Brifing:** https://brifing.si/s/6e2cccfc-d3e2-4db3-9755-2d36f8eb8bf8 ## New Search Begins at Nikumaroro A research team from Purdue University has arrived at remote Nikumaroro Island in Kiribati to search for Amelia Earhart's twin-engine Lockheed 10E Electra. Earhart and navigator Fred Noonan disappeared on July 2, 1937, while attempting an around-the-world flight and running critically low on fuel near Howland Island. ## The Coconut Crab Hypothesis The expedition has renewed attention on the theory that Earhart survived a crash landing on the island before succumbing to giant coconut crabs. These nine-pound crustaceans have a powerful sense of smell and sharp claws, prompting current expedition members to sleep offshore on their boat for basic safety. ## Historical Artifacts Recovered on Site British colonists discovered airplane parts, a woman's shoe, and a sextant box on Nikumaroro during the late 1930s. Subsequent expeditions documented campfire remnants and discarded animal bones, supporting the hypothesis that the aviators lived temporarily on the atoll after drifting roughly 400 miles south of their intended target. ## Targeting Lagoon Satellite Anomalies Current operations concentrate on the southwestern Taraia Peninsula and the central lagoon, where satellite imagery revealed an unidentified underwater structure. Early photographs from 1937 show a similar anomaly located just ten feet from the shoreline and approximately five feet below the water surface. ## Subsurface Detection and Survey Methods Scientists are clearing dense jungle foliage and laying transect lines across the lagoon to systematically search the zone. The field crew relies on magnetometers to detect buried metal signatures and acoustic sonar pulses to map anomalies resting beneath dense layers of seafloor sediment. ## Sediment Removal and Visual Verification To confirm the identity of the submerged object, researchers will deploy specialized hydroprobes alongside induction dredges. These tools measure the precise depth and orientation of the structure while suctioning away accumulated silt to enable direct visual inspection of potential Lockheed aircraft components. ## Conflicting Findings From Past Searches Historic search organizations express skepticism regarding the satellite lead, calling the lagoon feature a false target. Previous expeditions examined the exact coordinates without finding wreckage, highlighting the technical difficulty and conflicting physical interpretations that have characterized Nikumaroro investigations over the past several decades. ## Significance of the Current Mission This mission marks the first authorized expedition to Nikumaroro in seven years and the first Taraia Peninsula inspection in fifteen years. Resolving the identity of the underwater object could finally conclude the eight-decade-old disappearance investigation surrounding aviation pioneer Amelia Earhart and Fred Noonan. ## Sources covering this story - https://www.independent.co.uk/news/science/amelia-earhart-plane-search-coconut-crabs-b3066616.html — --- _Summary written by Brifing from the original reporting. Copyright in the original article belongs to its publisher; read the full piece at the link above._