Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/1525176
maltatoday | SUNDAY • 11 AUGUST 2024 2 HERTIAGE United Nations endorses Heritage Malta's wrecklife project to protect underwater cultural heritage HERITAGE Malta's Under- water Cultural Heritage Unit (UCHU) is proud to announce that the United Nations Ocean Decade has officially endorsed the WreckLife project, an ini- tiative aimed at deepening our understanding of the intricate relationship between historic wrecks in Maltese coastal wa- ters and their surrounding ma- rine environments. WreckLife addresses the chal- lenges of wreck degradation and its impact on marine organisms and ecosystems. By examining temporal changes in climate and their effects on the marine environment and using a com- prehensive, interdisciplinary approach, the project aims to enhance our ability to predict future degradation and develop effective strategies for preserv- ing these underwater cultural heritage sites. Heritage Malta's UCHU stands firmly upon three foundation- al pillars: Explore, Record, and Share. This commitment is ex- emplified through a range of in- itiatives aimed at disseminating underwater findings to the pub- lic. Chief amongst these are Her- itage Malta's Virtual Museum (www.underwatermalta.org), a platform that invites the public to explore the historical sites found in Maltese coastal waters, and the Dive into History 360 programme, which brings these sites to life through high- reso- lution 360-degree virtual reality experiences offered to diverse audiences in schools, active age- ing centres, conferences, and events both locally and globally. The WreckLife project takes the Unit's work to new levels, as it aligns itself with the United Nation's Ocean Decade global initiative. The United Nations' endorsement of the project un- derscores the importance of preserving underwater cultural heritage worldwide. The project focuses on identifying critical ocean knowledge, building ca- pacity and increasing the use of ocean knowledge. The shipwrecks in our seas are studied as ecological islands, merging archaeological meth- odologies with biological re- search that includes sediment sampling, temperature mapping and light measurements. Scien- tific diving operations as well as other undersea technologies are utilised for monitoring and data collection, providing high-res- olution data for unprecedented insights into the ecological dy- namics around these underwa- ter archaeological sites. WreckLife brings together a diverse team of experts from various fields and institutions, including various departments at the University of Malta, thus generating valuable knowl- edge that transcends discipli- nary boundaries, developing new research methodologies and promoting innovation. By publishing open-access articles and engaging with the public through educational programs and interactive online platforms, the project ensures its research findings reach a broad audience, promoting ocean literacy and environmental stewardship. WreckLife sets a new stand- ard for managing historic ship- wrecks and their ecologies, con- tributing to the conservation of underwater cultural heritage worldwide. Ju88 tail section (Photo by Dave Gration) Diver collecting sediment sample at the Schnellboot S-31 wreck (Photo by Dave Gration)