Periodic Reporting for period 2 - THETIDA (Technologies and methods for improved resilience and sustainable preservation of underwater and coastal cultural heritage to cope with climate change, natural hazards and environmental pollution)
Periodo di rendicontazione: 2024-05-01 al 2025-04-30
THETIDA project performs combined environmental and damage assessment at seven pilot sites across European continent, based on the following objectives:
• Technical Objective: Contribute to safeguarding and protecting Europe’s coastal and underwater cultural heritage from the effects of climate change and natural hazards by exploiting cutting-edge monitoring technologies for addressing multi-hazard risk understanding, better preparedness, faster, adapted and efficient response.
• Scientific and Innovation Objective: Promote, test and demonstrate innovative and sustainable modelling tools and a decision support system to protect cultural heritage and cultural landscapes from climate change, disaster risks and pollutants, as well as to respond efficiently to those risks in case of emergency.
• Impact Objective: Actively engage diverse community groups, stakeholders and participants in participatory and inclusive data acquisition, co-creation and co-design processes through citizen science and participatory Living Lab methodologies to identify the values of maritime heritage, to understand the risks, monitor the changes and document the impacts of climate change and natural hazards on the maritime heritage.
• Technical Objective: Contribute to safeguarding and protecting Europe’s coastal and underwater cultural heritage from the effects of climate change and natural hazards by exploiting cutting-edge monitoring technologies for addressing multi-hazard risk understanding, better preparedness, faster, adapted and efficient response.
• Scientific and Innovation Objective: Promote, test and demonstrate innovative and sustainable modelling tools and a decision support system to protect cultural heritage and cultural landscapes from climate change, disaster risks and pollutants, as well as to respond efficiently to those risks in case of emergency.
• Impact Objective: Actively engage diverse community groups, stakeholders and participants in participatory and inclusive data acquisition, co-creation and co-design processes through citizen science and participatory Living Lab methodologies to identify the values of maritime heritage, to understand the risks, monitor the changes and document the impacts of climate change and natural hazards on the maritime heritage.
During the 2nd reporting period, THETIDA project is on track to achieve its objectives delivering the following outcomes:
• AR mobile app featuring 3D reconstructions of 5 pilot sites, storytelling & feedback tools for CH awareness & participatory preservation
• 12 underwater sensing units & mobile app delivered at pilot sites;
• Developed & integrated AUV SONAR, HD/hyperspectral cameras, and USBL for autonomous underwater sensing & communication
• Developed & validated 7 advanced remote sensing tools applied across pilot sites to enhance environmental monitoring and risk assessment
• Autonomous smart buoy installed at Nissia pilot site delivering real-time environmental data
• Developed & applied multi-hazard risk model with hydrodynamic & wave models for underwater site assessment & response
• Material deterioration sampling campaigns in Cyprus, Greece, Italy; ongoing in Portugal
• Diving campaigns conducted at Equa and Nissia shipwrecks to test in-situ sensors, 3D documentation of sites and testing of Hyperspectral camera
• Open Web GIS Portal consolidating geospatial data for CH protection
• AR mobile app featuring 3D reconstructions of 5 pilot sites, storytelling & feedback tools for CH awareness & participatory preservation
• 12 underwater sensing units & mobile app delivered at pilot sites;
• Developed & integrated AUV SONAR, HD/hyperspectral cameras, and USBL for autonomous underwater sensing & communication
• Developed & validated 7 advanced remote sensing tools applied across pilot sites to enhance environmental monitoring and risk assessment
• Autonomous smart buoy installed at Nissia pilot site delivering real-time environmental data
• Developed & applied multi-hazard risk model with hydrodynamic & wave models for underwater site assessment & response
• Material deterioration sampling campaigns in Cyprus, Greece, Italy; ongoing in Portugal
• Diving campaigns conducted at Equa and Nissia shipwrecks to test in-situ sensors, 3D documentation of sites and testing of Hyperspectral camera
• Open Web GIS Portal consolidating geospatial data for CH protection
The impact of the THETIDA project activities and outcomes during the 2nd reporting period can be summarised as follows:
• Remote sensing products and services, smart buoys, and small, low-cost vehicles are designed and developed for shallow water environments. Innovative methodologies addressing coastal erosion, land deformation, flood mapping, and land use change, and deterioration mapping contribute to the scientific community through peer-reviewed publications and the release of open-source code in public repositories. The deployment of sensors, autonomous underwater vehicles (AUVs), and smart buoys support the development of an integrated technological framework for monitoring and assessing the effects of climate change, natural hazards, and pollution on the ecosystems and environments of cultural heritage sites. Moreover, these advancements significantly enhance the sensing phase of CH protection, enabling more detailed representations and expanding coverage in both area and depth, all at substantially reduced costs. The broader society and local private sector are also expected to benefit from adopting and applying these technological innovations.
• The participatory Living Lab Dialogues involve multiple stakeholders, end users and community groups that include all the THETIDA target groups for participatory value and impact assessment, training and capacity building, and action planning to build a roadmap for the active monitoring, protection and sustainable development of UW and CH sites. These target groups include: I. Cultural Heritage related SMEs and Industries; II. Partnerships, Associations, Initiatives; III. Local administrators, policymakers, and financing institutions; IV. Academia and research community; and V. Citizens, public, municipalities .VI. Coastal and Underwater archaeologists, VII. Cultural Agencies, VIII. Environmental monitoring agencies, IX. Fishery authorities, X. Search and Rescue agencies. The project activities contributes to a high societal impact by reaching, involving, and engaging a wide range of target groups for the active monitoring and protection of the heritage sites, as well as raising awareness, educating, and building capacity across multiple sectors and actors
• The assessment and management of underwater and coastal cultural heritage is advanced by new technologies that are expected to produce a last-longing social and economic impact on the preservation and safeguarding of underwater and coastal cultural heritage. Sampling at pilot sites provides material degradation information and leading to protective measures with an important impact on the ability of protecting and safeguarding cultural heritage. This is coupled by mathematical models developed to evaluate the impact of environmental variables and thresholds on heritage sites, allowing the creation of risk maps for different conditions and respective impacts on the heritage sites.
• Remote sensing products and services, smart buoys, and small, low-cost vehicles are designed and developed for shallow water environments. Innovative methodologies addressing coastal erosion, land deformation, flood mapping, and land use change, and deterioration mapping contribute to the scientific community through peer-reviewed publications and the release of open-source code in public repositories. The deployment of sensors, autonomous underwater vehicles (AUVs), and smart buoys support the development of an integrated technological framework for monitoring and assessing the effects of climate change, natural hazards, and pollution on the ecosystems and environments of cultural heritage sites. Moreover, these advancements significantly enhance the sensing phase of CH protection, enabling more detailed representations and expanding coverage in both area and depth, all at substantially reduced costs. The broader society and local private sector are also expected to benefit from adopting and applying these technological innovations.
• The participatory Living Lab Dialogues involve multiple stakeholders, end users and community groups that include all the THETIDA target groups for participatory value and impact assessment, training and capacity building, and action planning to build a roadmap for the active monitoring, protection and sustainable development of UW and CH sites. These target groups include: I. Cultural Heritage related SMEs and Industries; II. Partnerships, Associations, Initiatives; III. Local administrators, policymakers, and financing institutions; IV. Academia and research community; and V. Citizens, public, municipalities .VI. Coastal and Underwater archaeologists, VII. Cultural Agencies, VIII. Environmental monitoring agencies, IX. Fishery authorities, X. Search and Rescue agencies. The project activities contributes to a high societal impact by reaching, involving, and engaging a wide range of target groups for the active monitoring and protection of the heritage sites, as well as raising awareness, educating, and building capacity across multiple sectors and actors
• The assessment and management of underwater and coastal cultural heritage is advanced by new technologies that are expected to produce a last-longing social and economic impact on the preservation and safeguarding of underwater and coastal cultural heritage. Sampling at pilot sites provides material degradation information and leading to protective measures with an important impact on the ability of protecting and safeguarding cultural heritage. This is coupled by mathematical models developed to evaluate the impact of environmental variables and thresholds on heritage sites, allowing the creation of risk maps for different conditions and respective impacts on the heritage sites.