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Paper short abstract:

Recognizing and valuing underwater cultural heritage can enhance a sense of cultural identity for communities with historical ties to the sea. It provides insights into past human interactions with the oceans fostering an appreciation for marine ecosystems and the need for their protection.

Paper long abstract:

Underwater cultural heritage refers to submerged artifacts, structures, and sites that hold historical, cultural, or archaeological significance. Preserving this heritage is crucial for understanding human history and the development of societies.

Oceans should be understood as a complex set of sites, landscapes, and narratives that involve multiple players and perspectives centered not only on trade, leisure, and energy but also on subsistence, regional development, and belief systems. Consequently, the remains of the activities in the oceans, what we understand as underwater cultural heritage, include cultural and natural tangible as well as intangible cultural heritage, human remains, practices, and oral histories.

This presentation will study how and why the consideration of underwater cultural heritage is a key piece to reach a sustainable blue future. The presentation will explore the importance of this submerged knowledge for the countries’ identity and the necessity of protecting it as an integral heritage, a heritage where natural, cultural, and intangible heritage can be understood as just one.