RMS Titanic of the sinking, photos were released showing possible human remains resting on the ocean floor. The photos, taken by Robert Ballard during an expedition led by NOAA in 2004, show a boot and a coat close to "Titanic"'s stern which experts called "compelling evidence" that it is the spot where somebody came to rest, and that human remains could be buried in the sediment beneath them. The wreck of the "Titanic" falls under the scope of the 2001 UNESCO Convention on the Protection of the Underwater Cultural Heritage. This means that all states party to the convention will prohibit the
Mid-Atlantic Regional Council on the Ocean (MARCO) Mid-Atlantic Regional Council on the Ocean (MARCO) Mid-Atlantic Regional Council on the Ocean is a regional initiative by states in the Mid-Atlantic States region "to maintain and improve the health of our ocean and coastal resources, and ensure that they continue to contribute to the high quality of life and economic vitality of our region’s communities well into the future." Five states currently participate in the initiative. In 2009 Governors David Paterson, Martin O'Malley, Jon Corzine, Jack Markell, and Tim Kaine joined to form the Mid-Atlantic Regional Council on the Ocean. The initiative was announced on June 4, 2009 by