New ENDURE article on integrating underwater cultural heritage into deep-sea planning
- ENDURE
- 2 days ago
- 1 min read
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 largely 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. The article is open access and be downloaded from the following link:
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
ENDURE is an ERC-funded research project developing a new, evidence-based framework to understand, assess and sustainably manage the decay and preservation of underwater cultural heritage in a changing ocean environment
