Project description
Marine species’ historical exploitation for marine shagreen
Marine shagreen, a type of leather crafted from sharks, rays, and skates, gained popularity in northwestern Europe during the 17th to 19th centuries for its aesthetic appeal and resistance to water. Understanding the historical exploitation and trade of elasmobranchs (the subclass containing sharks, rays, and skates) is vital for establishing their ecological history. Currently, one-third of elasmobranch species are at risk of extinction, yet the absence of historical data hampers conservation efforts. With the support of the Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions programme, the FINS project seeks to identify the elasmobranch species targeted for marine shagreen production in early modern Europe. Employing a multi-methodological approach that integrates biocodicology, historical research, ecological studies, interdisciplinary collaboration, and innovative methodologies, the project aims to offer valuable insights into elasmobranch exploitation during this era.
Objective
Marine shagreen is a luxurious, storied leather material made from the skins of elasmobranchs (sharks, rays, skates). Admired for being visually striking, waterproof, and conveying a sense of worldliness, shagreen became coveted by the wealthy and elites of 17th-19th century northwestern Europe. Crafted from shark or ray skin, once turned into shagreen, more precise taxonomic identifications are not possible. Provided the multinational origins, the elasmobranch species targeted span the Atlantic Ocean to the Indo-Pacific. Finding the Identifiable Species in Shagreen (FINS) aims to use a multimethodological approach to analyse museum objects and unveil which species of elasmobranchs were targeted for marine shagreen production in Europe’s early modern period. Historical archival research will be undertaken to refine our knowledge of anticipated target species while non-destructive and minimally destructive methods will be employed to directly analyse shagreen objects for taxonomic identifications. Understanding the historical exploitation, trade, and demand for elasmobranch skins in this time period, which coincides with the rise of industrialised fishing efforts, is critical and a timely endeavour to establish the ecohistory of these keystone taxa. One third of all elasmobranch species are classified as being threatened with extinction by the International Union for the Conservation of Nature. A key challenge to ongoing elasmobranch conservation efforts is the lack of historical data and ecological baselines. Through a combination of biocodicology, historical analysis, ecological research, interdisciplinary collaboration, and innovative approaches, we aim to provide valuable insights into the material culture, environmental history, and ecological dynamics related to elasmobranch exploitation during this period.
Fields of science (EuroSciVoc)
CORDIS classifies projects with EuroSciVoc, a multilingual taxonomy of fields of science, through a semi-automatic process based on NLP techniques. See: The European Science Vocabulary.
CORDIS classifies projects with EuroSciVoc, a multilingual taxonomy of fields of science, through a semi-automatic process based on NLP techniques. See: The European Science Vocabulary.
- agricultural sciences agriculture, forestry, and fisheries fisheries
- humanities history and archaeology history
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Project’s keywords as indicated by the project coordinator. Not to be confused with the EuroSciVoc taxonomy (Fields of science)
Project’s keywords as indicated by the project coordinator. Not to be confused with the EuroSciVoc taxonomy (Fields of science)
Programme(s)
Multi-annual funding programmes that define the EU’s priorities for research and innovation.
Multi-annual funding programmes that define the EU’s priorities for research and innovation.
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HORIZON.1.2 - Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions (MSCA)
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Calls for proposals are divided into topics. A topic defines a specific subject or area for which applicants can submit proposals. The description of a topic comprises its specific scope and the expected impact of the funded project.
Funding Scheme
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Funding scheme (or “Type of Action”) inside a programme with common features. It specifies: the scope of what is funded; the reimbursement rate; specific evaluation criteria to qualify for funding; and the use of simplified forms of costs like lump sums.
HORIZON-TMA-MSCA-PF-EF - HORIZON TMA MSCA Postdoctoral Fellowships - European Fellowships
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Call for proposal
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(opens in new window) HORIZON-MSCA-2023-PF-01
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1165 KOBENHAVN
Denmark
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