The UK's rivers, lakes, coastlines and seas represent, and are home to, some of our most significant and vulnerable heritage assets; from million-year-old tools and footprints, through millennia of shipwrecks, decades of downed aircraft, to historic towns and ports. These assets are part of dynamic environments that are undergoing unprecedented rates of change, whilst simultaneously being exposed to increasing pressure from development, tourism and conservation needs. These environments, however, represent complex challenges for archaeological investigation, being too shallow for larger ocean-going equipment. Heritage scientists, regulators and policy makers are therefore confronted with the problem of quantifying, investigating and managing this resource, while the national capacity to carry out these investigations is curtailed by limited access to equipment, because of high purchase and hire costs. This not only prevents knowledge gain and policy development, but innovation. This project brings together a constellation of fifteen institutions from across all four UK nations to address three critical needs for heritage science at (inter)national and regional scales. It stems from independent capability reviews, conversations with national agencies and regulators, museums, local government and community groups: 1. Capacity to effectively and agilely collect geophysical and geotechnical data from coastal and inland waters. This will be met through acquiring state of the art uncrewed surface vessels (USVs), remotely operated vehicles (ROVs) and sensors for bathymetric and sub-bottom survey, as well as geological sampling. The equipment will be openly advertised and bookable. 2. Access to equipment and expertise for 4D data capture and documentation at a range of scales and resolutions; from landscapes (kms) to architecture (metres) and objects (millimetres). This will be delivered through new assets and sharing existing equipment. Capability will include laser & structured light scanning, photogrammetry, uncrewed airborne vehicles (UAVs) with lidar, multispectral & 360 photography, 3D printing. 3. Capability for data processing, visualisation, engagement & archiving. Lack of access to higher performance computing, appropriate software and expertise has become a key bottleneck. We will support users through acquisition, processing and visualisation via a digital laboratory to ensure best quality data capture, outputs and archiving. While new infrastructure is required, people remain the greatest asset within heritage science. This facility will develop this asset through creating an inter-disciplinary community of practice to support heritage scientists operating in marine, coastal and freshwater locations. It will train researchers, community groups and other stakeholders on how to make best use of this resource and the outputs it can generate. It will pioneer new Artificial Intelligence and cloud-based methods for large scale data processing and visualisation, to unlock hidden potential and streamline workflows. With our partners we will explore new methods of engaging diverse audiences through a variety of digital and physical outputs. At the same time, it will lead by example, promoting and enabling a culture of equipment, data and knowledge exchange. The knowledge and understanding generated by this facility speaks directly to core heritage science challenges, but also those of other disciplines and industries (e.g. ocean & earth science, engineering, geography, renewable energy). It will help to answer questions with regards to the changing shape of our coastlines, rivers and seas. It will transform our ability to rapidly acquire data in difficult settings at short notice, giving critical insights into the impacts of climate change on heritage and society, as well as its potential future course.

The Rising from the Depths network will identify how the tangible submerged and coastal Marine Cultural Heritage (MCH) of Kenya, Tanzania, Mozambique and Madagascar, and its associated intangible aspects, can stimulate, ethical, inclusive and sustainable growth in the region. The multidisciplinary project team (experienced in challenge-led research and KE in ODA environments) will determine ways in which MCH can directly benefit East African communities and local economies, building identity, stimulating alternative sources of income (reducing poverty), and enhancing the value and impact of overseas aid in the maritime sector. East Africa is undergoing a period of profound change as the economy of the region gains momentum, driven by changing internal dynamics and by external interests. The region's maritime zone is central to these developments with offshore exploration for oil and gas deposits driving investment, coupled with major financing of new and established ports to facilitate trade with the Gulf countries. In addition to aid and investment from both the UK and other western governments, China and Saudi Arabia are funding major infrastructural and development projects across the region. While these developments have the potential to realise short-term economic, developmental and employment benefits, there has been little consideration of the impact of this work on the region's submerged and coastal heritage. Nascent maritime research in East Africa is just beginning to reveal the extent of maritime cultures and traditions across the region as well as the evidence for wider maritime activity that connected this coast to the broader Indian Ocean region. The sea in East Africa is a connector, a facilitator of communications, a supplier of resources that sustains life and an environment that is rooted in the belief systems of coastal peoples. For millennia this coast has been embedded within broader political and socio-economic domains, and witness to multiple migrations, invasions and trade activity. Its port towns and cities were intrinsically connected to a wider mercantile maritime world, ensuring it became one of the most culturally dynamic and diverse regions throughout history. It was, and continues to be, a region of continuous transformation and subject to a variety of anthropogenic and natural drivers of change. Development agreements very rarely take account of cultural heritage even though access to it is considered a fundamental human right. East African counties currently have little capacity to protect or explore their rich maritime heritage and, as a result, the socio-economic potential of MCH has yet to be realised. Worse, while the submerged resource is being impacted by marine exploitation, commercial salvage and offshore industry, the coastal resource is being threatened by building and development work as well as climatic and environmental change and even some green-energy projects. MCH is a fragile and finite resource, which once destroyed can never be recovered. This project will establish and maintain a transboundary and cross-sector network of arts and humanities-led researchers, government officers, scientists, policy makers, UN officials, NGOs, ICT professionals and specialists working in heritage, infrastructure and the offshore industry, to consider in what ways MCH can create long-lasting social, economic and cultural benefits in the region. The project will identify new opportunities and methodologies for arts and humanities research in an aid context and add value to coastal infrastructure and offshore development projects. Key mechanisms of engagement will be through the co-production of a Research and KE Framework, Innovation Projects and KE activities. The nations of coastal East Africa have aspirations to transform themselves into a thriving maritime gateway of trade and investment. The past has an active role in not only informing this development but in helping drive it.

The Rising from the Depths network will identify how the tangible submerged and coastal Marine Cultural Heritage (MCH) of Kenya, Tanzania, Mozambique and Madagascar, and its associated intangible aspects, can stimulate, ethical, inclusive and sustainable growth in the region. The multidisciplinary project team (experienced in challenge-led research and KE in ODA environments) will determine ways in which MCH can directly benefit East African communities and local economies, building identity, stimulating alternative sources of income (reducing poverty), and enhancing the value and impact of overseas aid in the maritime sector. East Africa is undergoing a period of profound change as the economy of the region gains momentum, driven by changing internal dynamics and by external interests. The region's maritime zone is central to these developments with offshore exploration for oil and gas deposits driving investment, coupled with major financing of new and established ports to facilitate trade with the Gulf countries. In addition to aid and investment from both the UK and other western governments, China and Saudi Arabia are funding major infrastructural and development projects across the region. While these developments have the potential to realise short-term economic, developmental and employment benefits, there has been little consideration of the impact of this work on the region's submerged and coastal heritage. Nascent maritime research in East Africa is just beginning to reveal the extent of maritime cultures and traditions across the region as well as the evidence for wider maritime activity that connected this coast to the broader Indian Ocean region. The sea in East Africa is a connector, a facilitator of communications, a supplier of resources that sustains life and an environment that is rooted in the belief systems of coastal peoples. For millennia this coast has been embedded within broader political and socio-economic domains, and witness to multiple migrations, invasions and trade activity. Its port towns and cities were intrinsically connected to a wider mercantile maritime world, ensuring it became one of the most culturally dynamic and diverse regions throughout history. It was, and continues to be, a region of continuous transformation and subject to a variety of anthropogenic and natural drivers of change. Development agreements very rarely take account of cultural heritage even though access to it is considered a fundamental human right. East African counties currently have little capacity to protect or explore their rich maritime heritage and, as a result, the socio-economic potential of MCH has yet to be realised. Worse, while the submerged resource is being impacted by marine exploitation, commercial salvage and offshore industry, the coastal resource is being threatened by building and development work as well as climatic and environmental change and even some green-energy projects. MCH is a fragile and finite resource, which once destroyed can never be recovered. This project will establish and maintain a transboundary and cross-sector network of arts and humanities-led researchers, government officers, scientists, policy makers, UN officials, NGOs, ICT professionals and specialists working in heritage, infrastructure and the offshore industry, to consider in what ways MCH can create long-lasting social, economic and cultural benefits in the region. The project will identify new opportunities and methodologies for arts and humanities research in an aid context and add value to coastal infrastructure and offshore development projects. Key mechanisms of engagement will be through the co-production of a Research and KE Framework, Innovation Projects and KE activities. The nations of coastal East Africa have aspirations to transform themselves into a thriving maritime gateway of trade and investment. The past has an active role in not only informing this development but in helping drive it.