Wreck Sites as Systems Disrupted by Trawling

This chapter examines the effects of bottom trawling on shipwreck sites, conceptualising them as process-response systems that achieve a quasi-equilibrium state over time. Disruptions to this state by bottom-contact fishing gear are analysed through examples from recent geophysical surveys in the Irish, Baltic, and North Seas. The study highlights the capabilities and limitations of modern geophysical methods in detecting changes at underwater archaeological sites caused by bottom trawling. Specifically, it addresses the challenges of identifying evidence of disturbance on dynamic seabeds and suggests that detailed analysis of wreck distribution might provide indirect proxies of structural damage due to trawling activities. Furthermore, it emphasises the potential of these disturbances to mobilise hazardous materials, such as unexploded ordnance and fuel from modern shipwrecks, posing an added environmental risk. Acknowledging existing knowledge gaps in the understanding of trawling impacts on underwater cultural heritage and the marine environment, the authors call for more case study research .