State of the Art in Underwater Cultural Heritage: Policies in the Era of Blue Economy and Incorporation into Maritime Spatial Planning

A special issue of Heritage (ISSN 2571-9408). This special issue belongs to the section "Underwater Heritage".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 26 July 2024 | Viewed by 2697

Special Issue Editor


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Guest Editor
Department of Economic and Regional Development, School of Science of Economics and Public Administration, Panteion University of Social and Political Sciences, 176 71 Athens, Greece
Interests: blue economy; spatial planning; marine/maritime spatial planning; maritime/underwater cultural heritage; sustainable development; marine and coastal management; resilience
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Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Underwater cultural heritage (UCH) refers to human-made structures and artifacts submerged underwater, including sunken cities, shipwrecks, and submerged ruins. UCH research is crucial for understanding humanity’s past, cultural heritage, and the evolution of maritime technology. This field focuses on UCH-related policies in the era of blue economy and on its incorporation into marine/maritime spatial planning endeavors worldwide. The focus of this Special Issue will also be on the diagnostics, conservation, and monitoring of UCH through advanced scientific techniques and technologies. Preserving cultural legacies, promoting sustainable tourism, and generating blue economic benefits while safeguarding the marine environment and preventing unauthorized looting and exploitation are key priorities. Harmonious co-existence with other maritime uses (e.g, tourism, nature conservation, offshore wind infrastructure, etc.) is also a key priority of this Special Issue.

The goal of this Special Issue is to collect papers (original research articles and review papers) to provide a comprehensive platform for showcasing cutting-edge research and advancements in the field of underwater cultural heritage. This Special Issue seeks to bring together contributions that highlight policies and strategies acknowledging UCH as a contributor to blue economy and as a distinct maritime use in maritime spatial plans from all over the world. Contributions focused on multi-use settings, including UCH in a harmonious co-existence with other traditional or emerging maritime uses, are also welcome. Moreover, this Special Issue invites papers which incorporate innovative diagnostic techniques, conservation methodologies, and monitoring approaches aimed at preserving and protecting underwater cultural sites. The aim of this Special Issue is to advance the understanding of underwater cultural heritage, promote sustainable conservation practices, and contribute to the broader body of knowledge in cultural heritage management and preservation.

This Special Issue will welcome manuscripts that link the following themes:

  • Policies and strategies acknowledging UCH as a contributor to blue economy;
  • Modes of incorporation of UCH as a distinct maritime use in maritime spatial plans;
  • Realized examples of harmonious co-existence of UCH with other marine uses and the assessment of the potential of UCH-driven multi-use;
  • Advanced diagnostic techniques for the identification and documentation of underwater cultural heritage sites;
  • Innovative conservation methodologies and strategies for preserving and protecting underwater cultural heritage;
  • Valuation methods of underwater cultural heritage;
  • Sustainable management practices for the long-term preservation of underwater cultural heritage sites.

Prof. Dr. Stella Sofia Kyvelou
Guest Editor

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Heritage is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 1600 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • underwater cultural heritage
  • accessible underwater cultural sites (AUCSs)
  • sunken cities
  • shipwrecks
  • UCH and sustainable tourism
  • Underwater natural and cultural heritage
  • coastal/marine cultural ecosystem services
  • diagnostic techniques
  • conservation and monitoring
  • coastal heritage
  • underwater cultural landscapes
  • UCH and climate change
  • valuation methods of UCH

Published Papers (1 paper)

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Review

40 pages, 7053 KiB  
Review
Mapping and Assessing Cultural Ecosystem Services to Inform Maritime Spatial Planning: A Systematic Review
by Marina Banela, Stella Sofia Kyvelou and Dimitra Kitsiou
Heritage 2024, 7(2), 697-736; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/heritage7020035 - 04 Feb 2024
Viewed by 2108
Abstract
Socio-cultural dimensions and values in maritime spatial planning (MSP) are gaining momentum worldwide and especially in the European Union (EU), since it is acknowledged that they are the “missing layer” of maritime spatial plans (MSPlans). These values are partly explored through cultural ecosystem [...] Read more.
Socio-cultural dimensions and values in maritime spatial planning (MSP) are gaining momentum worldwide and especially in the European Union (EU), since it is acknowledged that they are the “missing layer” of maritime spatial plans (MSPlans). These values are partly explored through cultural ecosystem services (CES). Coastal and marine CES refer to the benefits that humans derive from the coastal and marine environments in recreational, artistic, spiritual, and educational terms. They reflect the ways in which coastal and marine ecosystems contribute to human well-being, cultural identity, and interactions with nature. The research question is how to map and assess coastal/marine ecosystem services and to integrate them in the MSPlans. Thus, this systematic review sheds light on methodological and technical issues with CES mapping and assessment and provides guidance on how to incorporate CES in MSP for future research. Publications dealing with the spatial aspects of CES were examined with an extra focus on participatory mapping approaches. Initially, 199 articles were identified, and 50 articles were ultimately eligible for the analysis. Papers were concentrated in the European Atlantic, whilst their scope was either local or regional. A large number of articles consider the contribution of CES to efficient marine management rather than to achieving an integrated and coordinated MSP. Social and mixed mapping approaches were met with the most often, especially participatory mapping approaches. Also, non-monetary valuation was prevailing, and a multitude of techniques, tools, and statistical software were used. In most of the cases, the distribution of values in relation to environmental, socio-economic, and demographic factors was examined. This article concludes that an effective integration of CES into MSP is crucial for creating prospects of a more sustainable and inclusive approach to coastal/marine planning and for the well-being of ecosystems and communities both currently and for future generations. This knowledge should become “property” of the maritime spatial planners. Full article
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