Managing Underwater Cultural Heritage through knowledge

For an island surrounded and shaped by the sea, to understand Aruba’s identity and heritage we also need to understand what lies beneath the water. An important opportunity has arisen. Researchers as well as locals can now look at Aruba’s underwater landscape on a scale that previously was not possible. At the center of the upcoming Underwater Cultural Heritage expedition is RV Hydra, a 56-metre research vessel operated by Inkfish LLC; a philanthropic research organization that dedicates to expanding scientific knowledge of the sea and benefiting the public through this research. This expedition is fully funded by Inkfish, creating a significant opportunity for Aruba to access specialized research infrastructure, technology and expertise.

The work follows the principles of the UNESCO 2001 Convention on the Protection of the Underwater Cultural Heritage, which encourages countries to protect underwater heritage, avoid unnecessary removal of objects and work together through research, training and knowledge exchange. Research into Aruba’s Underwater Cultural Heritage (UCH) has been developing for more than two decades. In 1999 archaeologist Raymundo Dijkhoff of the Museo Arqueologico Nacional Aruba (MANA) started building scientific networks, collecting information and exploring approaches to protect underwater sites.

In 2011, an initial inventory of Aruba’s underwater cultural heritage began, followed by further research, awareness activities and international collaboration. In 2019, a formal petition by Aruba, Curacao and St. Maarten to the Netherlands to ratify the UNESCO 2001 convention was approved. Ratification is planned in the coming years. Therefore, the project with Inkfish represents the next step in UCH research for Aruba after a 20-year trajectory.

The star in this expedition is a multi-beam sonar that can map the seabed down to 2500 meters, by sending soundwaves toward the bottom and using the returning signal to create three dimensional maps of the seafloor. The aim is to map as much as possible and improve understanding of both known and potentially unknown underwater cultural heritage sites around Aruba. RV Hydra also carries two research submersibles capable of operating to depths of 1,000 meters. The specialized ship’s support vessel, Skye, will support seabed mapping and diving operations, while Hydra itself contains two laboratories to process samples and scientific information during the expedition.

The research is not limited to archaeology. Scientists will also investigate Aruba’s marine environment. One technique being used is environmental DNA, or eDNA, which detects traces of genetic material that organisms leave behind in seawater, like skin cells or leaf fragments. This helps build a wider picture of the number of species present without needing to capture them. This combination of archaeological mapping and ecological research provides a unique opportunity for Aruba to understand its underwater natural and cultural heritage.

In this endeavor, Aruban professionals will work directly alongside the Inkfish team during the expedition. MANA archaeologist Harold Kelly and ecologist Oriana Wouters of Imagination for Development and the Nature of Values Aruba (IDNOVA) will participate aboard RV Hydra, gaining hands-on experience with new research methods and technologies while also contributing local knowledge about Aruba and its waters.