Ocean Literacy: Communicating Climate Change, Preservation, and Conservation through Archaeology

Ocean literacy is broadly defined as the knowledge of both humankind’s impact on the oceans and the oceans’ impact on humankind. Archaeology is uniquely suited to illustrate ocean literacy, and can be an effective tool to communicate and educate the public and policy makers. Issues ranging from climate change to human migration show the reciprocal linkages between humans and the oceans, and can all be illustrated through archaeology. By increasing ocean literacy, it may be possible to create improved conservation and preservation practices.