As part of existing requirements for offshore energy production, 600 shipwrecks have been found in the Gulf of Mexico alone by oil and gas producers, however scientists and historians reckon this number is just a fraction of how many are actually out there.

A new proposal to the Federal Register by the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management would obligate offshore energy companies to conduct maritime archaeological surveys before undertaking any operations that would disturb the seafloor off the continental shelf.

In 2011, an unnamed energy company spotted a shipwreck near its operations which was excavated last year by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Admin. (NOAA). It turned out to be the 207-year-old whaling ship Industry 

The Boston-built Brig was associated with freed-slave and maritime entrepreneur Paul Cuffe, and hunted whales across the Atlantic Ocean, the Caribbean, and the Gulf of Mexico for 20 years. It was lost when a strong storm snapped its masts and opened its hull to the sea on May 26, 1836.

Current methods used to preserve undiscovered shipwrecks involve predicting where they could be found based on historic reports in newspapers and state records, as well as weather patterns and historic shipping lanes, but scientists now believe it's a method that notably undercounts how many ships are actually down there.

Furthermore, oil and gas companies are currently only required to conduct a survey when they have "reason to believe" that a shipwreck may be present in their area of operations.

"By improving our reporting requirements, we can increase the likelihood of identifying these important resources before they are inadvertently damaged by an [oil or gas] operator and help ensure compliance with the National Historic Preservation Act," James Kendall, BOEM Gulf of Mexico regional director, told Science.

The new proposal, currently open for public comment, puts oil, gas, and offshore wind all on the same page for survey requirements. Typically working beyond 5.5 kilometers from the shore, these installations must be preceded by an archaeological survey of the area before they begin construction.

Public comment will carry on until mid-April.

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