The Benefits of Collaboration: Multi-agency Partnerships and Capacity Building within Underwater Archaeology

As the field of underwater archaeology continues to expand, the importance of partnerships and capacity building has enhanced the ability to share knowledge and resources between colleagues near and far. Capacity building develops the skills and processes needed to strengthen communities, while including a number of stakeholders in the form of museum exhibits, university graduate programs, advocacy groups, government organizations, and cultural heritage research institutions. Numerous multi-agency partnerships have developed supportive relationships, aiming to engage with communities for the shared purpose of cultural heritage protection with demonstrable results. These partnerships not only create a strategic alliance amongst organizations, but also serve as a means of cost-sharing. Such projects strive to create a sustainable approach to infrastructural development for the preservation and protection of submerged cultural resources.