Conference in Tallinn, Estonia 7th-8th October 2024

“Potentially hazardous wrecks and underwater cultural heritage - how to keep our seas clean and heritage safe?” Environmentally hazardous wrecks have been around for more than a hundred years - be it the fuel, dangerous cargo, or ghost nets. Until recently the focus has mainly been on the environmental aspect. However, more and more of these wrecks have been designated as underwater cultural heritage. Cleaning up these environmentally dangerous wrecks is almost always an invasive activity. So, how to do it in a such a way that the heritage will stay as intact as possible? Or at what point does the environment take precedence over the survival of cultural heritage?