News | Endure

New ENDURE publication on integrating underwater cultural heritage into deep-sea planning

Quinn, R., McGonigle, C., & Gregory, D. (2026). Underwater Cultural Heritage at Risk? Global Insights into Deep-Sea Mining and Trawling Impacts. International Journal of Nautical Archaeology, 1–19. https://doi.org/10.1080/10572414.2025.2597344

As part of the ENDURE project, we’ve published new research in the International Journal of Nautical Archaeology examining how underwater cultural heritage (UCH) intersects with deep-sea mining and bottom-contact fishing.

Our key message is a practical one:
➡️ Risks to underwater cultural heritage are real, but they are possibly manageable when addressed early and systematically.

The paper shows that:

Many impacts can be avoided through early seabed assessment and planning
Tools already used for environmental management can also protect cultural heritage
Integrating UCH into marine spatial planning benefits regulators, industry, and heritage managers alike

Rather than treating cultural heritage as a constraint, our research—aligned with ENDURE’s objectives—demonstrates how it can be incorporated into responsible and sustainable approaches to deep-sea activity.

We hope this work supports ongoing dialogue between archaeologists, policymakers, scientists, and offshore industries as activity in deeper waters continues to expand.

ENDURE is an interdisciplinary research project examining how deep-sea activities can be planned and managed to recognise and protect underwater cultural heritage as part of sustainable ocean use. www.endureerc.com

#ENDUREproject #UnderwaterCulturalHeritage #MarineSpatialPlanning #DeepSeaResearch #MaritimeArchaeology #OceanGovernance

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