Still on the show in Season 13: What Happened to Emma Culligan After Curse of Oak Island Season 12

A specialist joins the team

Culligan entered the series in 2022, after it had already aired for 10 seasons. She attended Memorial University in Newfoundland and brought knowledge of archaeology, engineering and metallurgy to the work on Oak Island.

She grew up in Japan, where Japanese is her first language, and did not learn English until age 15, according to Sky History. MSN reported that she has two siblings and that her mother is named Shirley Hardin. She lives in Nova Scotia.

An unexpected job offer

Before joining the show, Culligan worked at Canadian engineering firm Frontier Subsea Inc. Someone connected with the program contacted her for a résumé because the team was looking for a personal assistant.

Her qualifications caught the attention of cast member Laird Niven, who offered her a role operating the XRV system on the island. On The Curse of Oak Island & Beyond Podcast, Culligan recalled, “It was kind of a fluke, to be honest. I thought it was a spam email.”

Examining clues on Oak Island

In her first episode, Culligan used computed tomography to scan a metal object and judged it was “probably a bunk hook,” Sky History reported. Such hooks are associated with cargo ships, prompting the team to consider whether vessels may have visited the area.

She also traced a coin fragment to the 1690s. That finding led investigators to consider whether Sir William Phips might have buried treasure there in the 17th century.

A private life beyond television

Culligan continues to appear on the series, now in its thirteenth season. Her media appearances have been limited and mostly connected to the show; she appeared on The Curse of Oak Island & Beyond Podcast in 2023.