MERMAID
Title: Saving wooden shipwrecks in the Mediterranean marine ecosystem: Research, development and application of innovative methods of in situ protection
Funding Source: NSRF 2007-2013
Budget IMBBC: 20,000€
Start / End Date: 2011 - 2015
Web site URL: http://excellence.minedu.gov.gr/thales/en/thalesprojects/375692
Project Progress: 100%
Principal Investigator:
Project Members:
Research Directions:
Ecology and ecosystem management
Description:
This project aims to develop and implement two innovative methods for the in situ protection of wooden shipwrecks in both low and high energy underwater environments. The first method involves the wrapping of shipwreck timbers with geotextiles, materials which act as physical barriers to colonization by molluscs and crustaceans. The second method involves the development of an encasement system made of fiber-reinforced polymers that will enclose shipwreck timbers inside the sediment, ensuring long-term preservation. Following an experimental evaluation, the methods will be implemented on two wooden shipwrecks, a C16th Spanish ship and a C13th Byzantine ship, found respectively in the Ionian and Aegean Seas.