The Vrouw Maria Underwater project

28.12.2012: The Vrouw Maria Underwater project 2009 - 2012 has ended and achieved its aims

One of the main aims of the Vrouw Maria Underwater project is to improve the accessibility of the site by methods other than raising the wreck.

Access is increased by means of a fieldwork blog, a virtual simulation and the digitisation of artefacts raised from the wreck. Improving accessibility is particularly important as the wreck of the Vrouw Maria is located in a specially restricted zone in Finland's Archipelago National Park and is also surrounded by a protected area under the Finnish Antiquities Act, which means that no recreational diving to the wreck is permitted.

The aims of the project are:

• To produce new information about the ship, its cargo and the underwater landscape, etc. and to interpret and present this information.
• To increase the accessibility of the wreck, e.g. by means of a virtual simulation, a blog and an exhibition, and an exhibition publication. A seminar open to the public will also be held in 2012.
• To produce information for managing the wreck, including evaluating the need for a Natura impact assessment, in situ protection, questions about the condition of the wreck and the monitoring of any changes.