That money would have been better spent looking in deep water off of the reef at Gardner Island that TIGHAR thinks Earhart landed on.
Tony Romeo had ‘get home itis’, as Earhart and Coast Guard searches did at various times. She pressed on ill-prepared, after her disappearance CG’s search from the air over Gardner was limited.
The whole saga including competence of Earhart and navigator, Earhart’s husband in promoting, and CG/USN in searching is chronicled in Ric Gillespie’s book ‘One More Good Flight’. I recommend it.