Seafloor Mapping for Marine Heritage: Potential Submarine UNESCO World Heritage Sites in the High Seas
Abstract
Seafloor mapping is an essential component for advancing ocean exploration initiatives to better understand, protect, manage, and celebrate the marine environment. Numerous uncharted seamounts, canyons, and ridges were mapped by E/V Nautilus from 2015-2019 using a Kongsberg EM302 multibeam system covering 329,671 km2 of Pacific seafloor (as of July 2019). Many of these marine geologic features were further characterized via remotely operated vehicle exploration. Typically, seafloor mapping data are used for research, navigation, and management. As high-resolution seafloor mapping datasets grow and our understanding of the oceans expands from coastal waters to the High Seas, we must consider strategies for identifying, sharing and protecting submarine environments of potential Outstanding Universal Value (OUV). The United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) World Heritage Convention aims to conserve and promote global sites of natural and cultural OUV but has yet to consider potential site designations outside of a country's jurisdiction, such as those in the High Seas. World Heritage Report 44 (UNESCO, 2016) recognizes the potential for nominating sites in the High Seas and outlines possible options for applying OUV to potential marine features, although the process is still nascent. We present newly mapped and explored sites in the Pacific that may help define submarine OUV and justify future High Seas exploration. These submarine sites of potential OUV may be considered for the UNESCO World Heritage program in the future. Telepresence technology, interactive websites, and virtual deep-sea field trips are potential approaches to develop an appreciation of marine heritage through virtual tourism and education. Recognizing submarine sites for OUV will aid in global awareness for marine natural heritage we all share, while supporting broader environmental education through conservation.
- Publication:
-
AGU Fall Meeting Abstracts
- Pub Date:
- December 2019
- Bibcode:
- 2019AGUFMOS11A..04L
- Keywords:
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- 3045 Seafloor morphology;
- geology;
- and geophysics;
- MARINE GEOLOGY AND GEOPHYSICS;
- 4894 Instruments;
- sensors;
- and techniques;
- OCEANOGRAPHY: BIOLOGICAL;
- 4260 Ocean data assimilation and reanalysis;
- OCEANOGRAPHY: GENERAL;
- 4262 Ocean observing systems;
- OCEANOGRAPHY: GENERAL