3. Planning for the Creation of Marine Survey Data#
Underwater heritage assets, from all periods, can be divided into two broad types:
wreck sites and downed aircraft
landscapes, both coastal and submerged, and their associated structures and finds
Marine surveys are usually part of a phased approach which may include the production of a project design outlining the aims and objectives, the area to be included, and justification for the choice of survey method. Thinking carefully about the types of data that will be needed, created, and eventually archived will prove invaluable at this time. Different approaches to survey are likely to produce terabytes of data which will need to be managed and archived at the end of the project. Producing a Data Management Plan (DMP) is an essential task, and training and resources from MEDIN, Historic Environment Sector organisations such as CIfA, and digital preservation organisations such as the Digital Curation Centre’s DMPonline service are readily available to guide this process.
In some areas it is also important to be aware of the Crown Estate permissions for survey and the requirements of devolved governmental marine licensing regimes. For work undertaken in England it is expected that the NMHR (National Marine Heritage Record) number and NHLE (National Heritage List for England) numbers are included in all documents (both internal and external) when referring to marine sites. Additionally, digital copies of all project products should also be provided to the National Marine Heritage Record (NMHR).
From the outset projects should consider how data are to be structured and named. Including elements such as project codes and survey IDs in file and directory names ensure components are easily and clearly identifiable. This is discussed further in the Structuring your Archive section below and more general guidance on file naming and the structuring of data is available in the ADS Guides to Good Practice section on Planning for the creation of digital data.
3.1. Existing Standards and Guidelines for Marine Survey Data#
There are a number of guidelines that have been issued on the environmental impact process and the marine historic environment specifically (e.g. BMAPA and English Heritage 2003; Wessex Archaeology 2011; Firth 2013; Wessex Archaeology 2021). These provide a good background to marine archaeological surveys in general.
In 2013, Historic England published guidance on the applicability of geophysical techniques for maritime archaeology (Plets et al 2013), to provide basic information for and characterisation of wreck sites and submerged prehistoric landscapes. An updated version of this guide will be available in Summer 2025.
The International Hydrographic Organisation (IHO) has produced various standards for bathymetric survey and sharing data. S-44 (IHO 2022) deals with the practicalities of survey and data acquisition. In a UK context, the UK Hydrographic Office published A Guide to Bathymetry (UKHO 2020a) which also includes guidance on undertaking wreck surveys.
UK Hydrographic Office also uses a system of Hydrographic Notes for sea-users to report to them any navigationally significant information ADMIRALTY Hydrographic Notes. The H275 form is competed for area surveys, whereas Form H102 should be used to report of a wreck resurvey or for new wrecks found. Alternatively, the downloadable ADMIRALTY H-Note App can be used to send the UKHO reports on suspected dangers to navigation. The application takes advantage of a phone’s built-in camera and GPS to help gather locational information and to send it to the UKHO once the reporting vessel is in Wi-Fi or cellular coverage.
Useful guidance for sub-bottom profiling surveys is provided by Geoscience Australia (McNeil et al. 2023).
3.2. Databases to Collate and Control Information#
Bespoke databases linked to GIS systems have been developed to integrate information collected during large scale excavations, and to capture information in real time during diving operations. For example, Site Recorder combines GIS, a finds database, survey processing program, diver log and image file management. Another system is DIVA, developed and used by Wessex Archaeology (an example has been deposited with the ADS here.
Providing documentation for the database structure, attributes, relationships, and any controlled terminology lists used is necessary both for the repository and for potential users. Equally important is ensuring that preferred formats for long term archiving are used for these databases (see the ADS Guide to Good Practice on Databases and Spreadsheets).