IN-SITU PRESERVATION OF DEEP-SEA SHIPWRECKS: UNDERSTANDING BIOLOGICAL INTERACTIONS AND ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACTS

Abstract

Lack of research currently limits our understanding factors for preservation of shipwrecks along with the impact of these wrecks on the deep environment. Technology capable of assisting archaeologists in the study of these interactions exists, but lack of funding limits the opportunities to perform this research. As a result of lower deterioration rates of modern shipwrecks in the deep sea, shallow sites receive more attention. To draw some of the focus towards researching deep sea sites, this thesis discusses the deterioration factors shipwrecks face in the deep environment and why they need further study. In-situ conservation practices can surely cost archaeologists valuable cultural resources in the deep sea. Unburied parts of a shipwreck resting on the unconsolidated sediments of the deep-sea face several factors that eventually leads to their complete deterioration and the buried structures also face substantial risks. Increases in the understanding of these preservation factors should lead to an increase in effort to study sites on the bottom of the deep sea. This thesis also discusses the importance of limiting disturbances to shipwreck sites while performing archaeological research. Shipwrecks benefit the deep environment by becoming artificial reefs. Thus, increasing the biodiversity of the ecosystem. While some shipwrecks contain harmful substances that require recovery, the act of removing these wrecks may cause more unnecessary harm. Archaeologists should always consider the consequences of removing any shipwreck from the deep sea.