WRECKPROTECT

Strategies for the protection of shipwrecks in the Baltic Sea against forthcoming attack by wood degrading marine borers. A synthesis and information project based on the effects of climatic changes

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 Obiettivo del progetto (Objective)

'Today the Baltic sea is a brackish marine environment, enclosing a unique well preserved historical collection of wooden shipwrecks and settlements. These objects and constructions are protected from aggressive marine borer due to the low salinity in the waters, and therefore it is one of the few localities in the world where historical shipwrecks are found so intact and available for historical research. There are however strong indications, showed by the EU- MOSS project, that the marine borer Teredo spp is spreading into this area. If we are not able to protect the cultural heritage, these objects will be lost within a relatively short time due to the aggressiveness of the marine borers. A strategy to handle this alarming scenario, is to provide the museums and conservators responsible for long term preservation of cultural heritage, with tools for predicting the spread of marine borers, and efficient methods for protection of the wreck, when the degradation is established. The WreckProtect project will therefore develop two guidelines synthesised on currently available information: 1. The prediction of marine borer attack in marine waters 2. The protection of wrecks in situ These guidelines will be applicable to other European marine waters outside the Baltic. The WreckProtect project is consequently a cross-disciplinary coordination action involving partners with expertise within geographical information systems, marine archaeology, marine biology, wood microbiology and conservation. These experts will through meetings and networking exchange knowledge and synthesise it into practical tools and methods in the form of guidelines that will be disseminated in a joint action for the European managers of underwater cultural heritage. A seminar, workshop and training course on practical in situ preservation of shipwreck will be organised during the project, and the guidelines will be published in international scientific journals and a monograph.'

Introduzione (Teaser)

A new set of tools can estimate the possibility of damage to shipwrecks lying at the bottom of the sea and combat the phenomenon if necessary.

Descrizione progetto (Article)

Surrounded by nine EU countries and Russia, the Baltic Sea is somewhat of a repository for a well preserved collection of shipwrecks and several underwater archaeological settlements. Yet these treasures are under threat due to the suspected emergence of shipworm (Teredo navalis), possibly as a result of global warming, that could eat away at our undersea heritage.

The EU-funded project WRECKPROTECT worked on a new approach to pre-empt this phenomenon. The project gathered a multidisciplinary team of geophysicists, marine biologists, marine archaeologists, wood scientists, and conservators from Denmark, the Netherlands and Sweden to achieve its objectives. It then empowered relevant authorities such as museums and archaeologists with tools to predict risk areas and with methods to protect underwater sites before any serious damage could occur.

More specifically, the project provided stakeholders with a geographic information system (GIS) tool to assess the spread of Teredo navalis in the Baltic Sea. It also provided guidelines and recommendations on efficient methods for the physical protection of wrecks, an effort supported through workshops and training courses.

To the relief of all involved, the new tools found that the spread of Teredo navalis has declined, and that sea currents were leading wood larvae away from the Baltic Sea. Nonetheless, the project communicated vital knowledge on this phenomenon and on microbial degradation of wood to the stakeholders, helping prevent possible shipworm outbreaks in the future. The knowledge and guidelines were spread through science journal publications, conferences, workshops and the project website.

New areas of collaboration and a roadmap for further research on the topic have been outlined by the project team, developments that will strengthen our knowledge about preserving underwater heritage. These results will undoubtedly be useful for shipwrecks and ancient sites in other bodies of water, both in Europe and beyond.