Coastal wrecks 360-degree VR experience gets UN Ocean Decade endorsement

Heritage Malta's Underwater Cultural Heritage Unit (UCHU)’s WreckLife project has been endorsed by the United Nations Ocean Decade, underscoring the importance of the unique 360-degree virtual reality experience.

WreckLife deepens understanding of the intricate relationship between historic wrecks in Maltese coastal waters and their surrounding marine environments.

By examining temporal changes in climate and their effects on the marine environment, the project helps experts predict future degradation and develop effective strategies for preserving these underwater cultural heritage sites.

Heritage Malta’s UCHU works to disseminate underwater findings to the public. Chief amongst these are Heritage Malta's Virtual Museum, a platform that invites the public to explore the historical sites found in Maltese coastal waters, and the Dive into History 360 programme, which brings these sites to life through high-resolution 360-degree virtual reality experiences offered to diverse audiences in schools, active ageing centres, conferences, and events both locally and globally.

The WreckLife project takes the UCHU’s work to new levels, as it aligns itself with the United Nation’s Ocean Decade global initiative.

“The shipwrecks in our seas are studied as ecological islands, merging archaeological methodologies with biological research that includes sediment sampling, temperature mapping and light measurements. Scientific diving operations as well as other undersea technologies are utilised for monitoring and data collection, providing high-resolution data for unprecedented insights into the ecological dynamics around these underwater archaeological sites,” an UCHU spokesperson said.

WreckLife brings together a diverse team of experts from various fields and institutions, including various departments at the University of Malta, generating valuable knowledge and new research methodologies.

By publishing open-access articles and engaging with the public through educational programmes and interactive online platforms, the project ensures its research findings reach a broad audience, promoting ocean literacy and environmental stewardship.

WreckLife sets a new standard for managing historic shipwrecks and their ecologies, contributing to the conservation of underwater cultural heritage worldwide.