Government is partnering with Saint Mary’s University to study Nova Scotia’s marine heritage resources.
The goal of the project is to chart a new course for marine heritage management and development. The study will determine what is required to support a marine archaeology program and strategies to protect underwater resources.
“Nova Scotians have long recognized the significance of the province’s vast underwater heritage, from submerged landscapes and eroding shorelines to historic shipwrecks and underwater artifacts,” said Communities, Culture and Heritage Minister Tony Ince. “The study is an opportunity to examine how we can research, manage, and most importantly, protect the province’s invaluable heritage resources.”
Saint Mary’s graduate and archaeologist Jonathan Kyte of Seahorse Cultural Resource Management Services is leading the study.
“Nova Scotia’s cultural identity and character has been forged by its relationship with the sea,” said Mr. Kyte. “The province’s submerged cultural resources are a testament to this relationship.”
The study will help identify options for government and the university to create educational opportunities and to also build partnerships in the marine archaeology community.
“Projects like this are of great interest to us at Saint Mary’s,” said Jonathan Fowler, archaeologist and associate professor in the university’s anthropology department. “In the wake of the Ivany Report, it is important for Nova Scotians to think about how we can leverage the research expertise in our universities to benefit communities.”
The study expected to be completed early in the new year.
Source: Release