Page 104 - Manual for Activities directed at the Underwater Cultural Heritage

 © MMRG. A team running
a diagnostic check on an IVER2 Autonomous Underwater Vehicle (AUV) made by Ocean Server, Inc., in the fishing port of Larache, Morocco.
The AUV is equipped with side- scan and multi-beam sonars and was used to map the bathymetry and search for exposed cultural material in the Oued Loukkos, as part of the Morocco Maritime Survey’s investigation into the location of the ancient port of Lixus, Morocco (October 2010). In this photo, Ocean Server technician Eric Wingate holds
on to the GPS unit and float of the AUV while marine geologist Mohamed Ali Geawhari (middle) and Ocean Sever technician Jason Aiello (right) assess its ballasting.
tell us about subsidence and submergence? What does the historical record tell us about beaches, natural harbours and their use? What can a careful analysis of the coastal landscape contribute to a better understanding of the underwater area? Can time series of depth records be constructed that allow for the modelling of erosion and accretion? Have corings or geotechnical soundings been made prior to the construction of breakwaters or offshore installations? Is there other relevant research? A combined scrutiny of such data would first of all help prioritize which bodies of water deserve special attention on the basis of prior knowledge on underwater cultural heritage and its potential for preservation. Predictive modelling in a simple or more advanced Geographical Information System (GIS) can be an enormous help in this process. It provides an inexpensive tool to manage large amounts of very disparate data in combination with expert knowledge.
Active research
While a ‘passive’ inventory by assessing accidentally acquired information and historic information is relatively inexpensive, it can help more targeted work enormously. It also provides a basis to assess the reliability of different informants and infor- mation sources. It is not, however, the only op- tion the competent authority has at its disposal. It can also actively commission or undertake spe- cific surveys, or it may make use of impact assess- ments for projects to investigate an area.
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Preliminary work