Intertidal Shipwrecks: Management of a Historic Resource in an Unmanageable Environment

A global array of case studies demonstrating practices
for preserving the maritime cultural heritage of vulnerable shipwrecks

Shipwreck sites in intertidal
zones--the parts of shorelines that are exposed at low tide and covered at high
tide--are located within dynamic environments. Periodically uncovered and
reburied, these stranded vessels are affected by surf and currents that
accelerate the decay of their remains, and their materials are often salvaged. This
volume presents 17 case studies from 9 countries on the management of
intertidal shipwrecks and strategies for conservation, archaeological research,
and public outreach focused on such sites.

These case studies
explore topics such as legislation protecting shipwrecks along the Pacific
coast of New Zealand, the ways wreck sites in Germany’s North Sea coastline are
safeguarded and studied, local community participation in the preservation of shipwrecks
along the Patagonian Atlantic coast, and the effects of climate change on sites
along the Potomac River in Maryland. Pioneering intertidal resource managers discuss
innovative strategies for preventing damage to ships and losses to local
maritime heritage. The first volume to examine these sites at varying scales across
the globe, Intertidal Shipwrecks is an important resource as climate impacts
increase and the role of citizen science programs becomes more significant.

A volume in the
series Society and Ecology in Island and Coastal Archaeology, edited by Victor
D. Thompson and Scott M. Fitzpatrick