To Monitor or Not to Monitor; an examination of the strategy to preserve and protect the submerged cultural resources at Fathom Five Nation Marine Park

Summary

Fathom Five is Canada’s first National Marine Park. It is also the shipwreck diving capital of Canada, with the remains of over thirty shipwrecks that lie within its boundaries. Shortly after a submerged cultural resource inventory was initiated at the park, a consortium of specialists from Parks Canada established a monitoring program. This would focus on a representative sample of the inventoried sites to detect any change in condition over the long term. The program was based upon experience from the monitoring of other sites and one that was to be part of a Parks Canada-wide strategy. While modifications to this program have been made over the course of twenty years, overall a consistent approach has been followed. Now with two decades worth of data, the focus is to analyze the accumulated results. The next step will be to update the program to one that is more efficient, takes advantage of technological innovation and partnerships, and one that will support organizational priorities. This paper will examine the history of the monitoring at FFNMP, including its pitfalls and successes within the context of the Parks Canada’s national strategy. In conclusion, the future direction of this monitoring program will also be discussed.

This Resource is Part of the Following Collections

• Underwater Archaeology the Canadian Way, Eh! Fifty Years of Park Canada’s Underwater Archaeology Service   •
• Society for Historical Archaeology 2014

Individual & Institutional Roles

Contact(s): Society for Historical Archaeology

Record Identifiers

PaperId(s): SYM-31,06