Experts began three weeks of detailed scouring of the Solent sea bed to usher in five years' work on where the warship sank when she was lost in 1545 in a battle with the French.
They believe the bow of the 16th century flagship – the last major treasure from the wreck – is buried in the mud and silt of the sea bed.
The bow, an elaborate fortified castle section, broke off either when Mary Rose sank or during early efforts to raise her. No such structure from a ship of the age has ever been found.
The resumption of diving on the site, more than two decades after the core of the hull was raised, has been sparked by the navy's plans to bring supercarriers to Portsmouth.
One potential route into harbour for the 70,000-ton warships runs through the wreck site.
The Raising of the Mary Rose