New website offers glimpse into Concordia wreck removal

How far along is the salvage of the Costa Concordia? Now you can see for yourself, thanks to a new website dedicated to the removal of the damaged cruise ship from the Italian coast.

Created by Costa Cruises in partnership with the Italian-American consortium that is overseeing the work, The Parbuckling Project website, offers background information about the removal effort and the companies involved; updates on the project's progress; and videos, 3-D animations and pictures of the work.

Parbuckling is the technical term for the process of rotating a wreck into an upright position, a complex undertaking.

The new site is available in both Italian and English.

The consortium overseeing the Costa Concordia removal effort includes Florida-based marine salvage specialist Titan Salvage and Italian marine contractor Micoperi. The companies have said the refloating and removal of the vessel should be completed by spring 2013.