Archaeology & Conservation Group

Aquanauts is pleased to announce the start of a new Archaeological and Conservation project team to work on projects important to our local marine environment. Run by our Instructor, John Mellor, we will be diving every Tuesday evening throughourt 2012, with our boat departing from Aquanauts at 6pm.  If you are interested in joining the group please email This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it   You will need an interest in the local marine environment, and the willingness to learn new skills through Seasearch and the Nautical Archeology Society. Please be aware though that there are some prerequiste skills required to join our main project team, however we will train you up and costs are absolutely minimal, as courses are sponsored by ProMare.

Projects:

We have teamed up with Promare to work on the Liberty 70 Project, a study of the US Liberty ship James Eagan Layne beached in Whitsand Bay in 1945. We plan to help document and record all aspects of this important shipwreck, see the project web site. We will first be completing a biological survey of the wreck followed by detailed survey and mapping allowing us to produce a 3D model using accurate marine archaeological methods.

Once the team members are trained and experienced in underwater survey and recording techniques we will move on to more difficult tasks. The team will also be working with shipwreck expert Peter Holt supporting the work of the SHIPS Project  more information is also available on their facebook page . Plymouth has a long maritime history stretching back to the time when people first arrived in the west of England.  The remains of our history lie scattered on the seabed of Plymouth Sound and the rivers that surround it, so the aim of the SHIPS Project is to record, document and publish the remains of shipwrecks, aircraft, hulks, lost anchors and any other man-made objects on the seabed.  Geophysical surveys in the area have identified hundreds of targets that need to be located, investigated and recorded by divers; there is a lot to do so we need your help.

The Aquanauts project team will also be working with the Stop Dumping In Whitsand Bay group to help provide evidence of the widespread damage that the dumping of debris in Whitsand Bay is causing.  We will be performing underwater surveys of the debris field, and show how items are being moved by the currents to the local reefs. We will perform biological surveys of the areas as well as record silt depths where appropriate and make visibility recordings. All of this will provide data to show the differences throughout the year when dumping is and is not occurring, and provide key information to help get the dumping ground relocated to a less sensitive area.

Notes and kit requirements for archaeology diving:

• Price Of Dive: £15
• Divers must be qualified and competent to dive to 30m
• NAS introduction qualification preferred
• Competent in circular search
• Suiltable slate

If you are interested in helping or have a project that you would like the team to look at please email  This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it

 2012 Archaeology Boat Plan