BLUEMED
Name: Plan/test/coordinate Underwater Museums, Diving Parks and Knowledge Awareness Centres in order to support sustainable and responsible tourism development and promote Blue growth in coastal areas and islands of the Mediterranean
Acronym: BLUEMED
Funding scheme:  EU Interreg Mediterranean
Total budget: 2,797,549.00 EUR
The total budget for UNIZG-FER: 302,640.00 EUR
Start: 01/11/2016
Duration: 36 months
Partners: Regional Development Fund - Region of Thessaly Atlantis Consulting S.A. 
Regional Development Agency Dubrovnik - Neretva County DUNEA 
Foundation University Enterprise of the Region of Murcia 
Ministry of Cultural Heritage and Activities and Tourism of Italy - ISCR 
Ministry of Culture and Sports of Greece - Ephorate of Underwater Antiquities 
University of Cyprus 
University of Zagreb Faculty of Electrical Engineering and Computing 
University of Calabria 
University of Patras
Associated Partners
Province of Crotone – Marine Protected Area "CAPO RIZZUTO“ 
Municipality of Pylos-Nestor National Museum of Underwater Archaeology ARQUA 
Parco Archeologico dei Campi Flegrei
Coordinator: Region of Thessaly - Regional Development Fund
UNIZG-FER LABUST status: partner
websiteBLUEMED website
Social media: BLUEMED Twitter
BLUEMED fb page

Abstract

 

BLUEMED project, funded by Interreg Mediterranean Programme, aims to support competent government authorities develop strategies, plans and policies for local coastal and island economies of the Mediterranean region in adopting a sustainable and responsible model for tourism development. This will be achieved by planning, testing and coordinating Underwater Museums, Diving Parks and Knowledge Awareness Centres (KACs).

BLUEMED project, funded by Interreg Mediterranean Programme, aims to support competent government authorities develop strategies, plans and policies for local coastal and island economies of the Mediterranean region in adopting a sustainable and responsible model for tourism development. This will be achieved by planning, testing and coordinating Underwater Museums, Diving Parks and Knowledge Awareness Centres (KACs).

 

 

 
 
 
 
 
 
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Impact

 

The main objective is the valorisation and protection of underwater natural and cultural heritage in accordance with UNESCO 2001, the raising of public awareness and tourism attractiveness. The main project focus is on:

  • a process scheme for supplying local/regional authorities with a multi-disciplinary plan (management models, innovative technologies) for Underwater Museums, Diving Parks and Knowledge Awareness Centres to be developed in Capo Rizutto, Baia bay, Western Pagasitikos/Sporades and Cavtat sites (policy recommendations, management practices, networking and promotion)
  • promoting innovation in the diving industry and improving divers experience through innovative diving services and technologies
  • attracting an important part of the increasing number of people who choose diving tourism introducing the wider public to underwater cultural heritage by means of 3D immersive visualisation in museum exhibitions and KACs
  • setting up ‘Underwater Natural and Cultural Routes in the Mediterranean’ web-based platform for a unified tourism promotion and networking of Med underwater natural and cultural heritage sites.
 
 
 
 
 
 
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Implementation

 

 

Methods to record and document underwater archaeological sites have evolved considerably in the last years. The combined use of optical and acoustic technologies enables the chance to provide high-quality digital 3D reconstruction of large-scale and complex underwater scenarios. These digital reconstructions are often adopted for archaeological purposes and, in particular, for documentation and monitoring activities. Additionally, they present an enormous and partially unexploited potential for the tourism sector in order to make the underwater cultural heritage more accessible to divers and non-divers and thus not only enjoyable for the general public but also more protected.

 
 
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The BLUEMED project aims to promote the responsible and sustainable access to the underwater cultural heritage for improving the touristic valorization of Mediterranean coastal areas. In this context, the recent evolution of digital technologies enables, on the one hand, to promote diving tourism by improving the divers' experience in the underwater site and, on the other hand, to promote the induced tourist activity through the development of an innovative, educative and attractive virtual tour of the site.

BLEUMED is associated with a horizontal project, the BleuTourMed. The aim of this interaction is to transfer relevant information and results to BleuTourMed and to explore synergies with other modular projects within the thematic community in order to reinforce the impact of the project's results on a transnational scale.

 
 
 
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Project results at a glance

Diving with underwater tablets​

Underwater tablet with an acoustic sensor to enable divers’ underwater localization

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

Underwater localization system consisted of an autonomous surface vehicle (ASV) and an acoustic sensor on the underwater tablet 

 
 
 

Underwater augmented reality app used to provide the diver with basic dive information as well as be  a tour guide to the diver/tourist

 
 
 
 
 
 
 

 

Knowledge Awareness Centers

 

Merging photogrammetric 3D model of the Peristera pilot site with high-precision geolocated acoustic bathymetry model​​​

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

Virtual reality (VR) immersive visualization. HMD (head mounted display) technology. Wireless

 
 
 
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From 3D Model to Virtual Reality: Surface of the sea, visible coast-line, sky, additional elements (buoys, boats, etc.)

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

 

The pilot sites

ITALY


The Underwater Archeological Park of Baiae, Italy - MIBACT ISCR
The “Villa con Ingresso a Protiro - Villa with Vestibule” dates around the II century AD and is located in the Marine Protected Area - Underwater Park of Baiae in Naples at 5/6 m depth. It is one of Baiae’s most important underwater monuments. The Villa has two clearly defined areas - the residential quarters and the baths. Its extension is 40 meters long, siding a road hosting thermae, taverns and other buildings, however, its real size could be much larger. Baiae was a famous seaside town and one of the most popular resorts among the Roman aristocracy and the imperial family up till the end of the IV century AD. Several ground movements (bradyseism) eventually caused the sinking of the city. The geomorphological problems of this area are related to a particular history of ground deformation due to the volcanic activity of the Phlegrean Fields. This year, thanks to the BLUEMED PROJECT, an important restoration and conservation activity of a selected area in the Villa with Vestibule - Villa con Ingresso a Protiro in BAIAE will be carried out. Moreover, in the Marine Protected Area “Capo Rizzuto”, a virtual diving system will be developed to allow non-diving visitors to experience the emotions of swimming over a Roman shipwreck and an augmented diving system will guide scuba divers through a special underwater tablet. 

 

The MPA (Marine Protected Area) of Capo Rizzuto, Italy - UNICAL 
The “Cala Cicala” wreck lies between the bay of Scifo and Capo Colonna, in the Marine Protected Area “Capo Rizzuto” at a depth of about 5/7 m. It is mainly composed of archaeological marble slabs and blocks which have not been investigated yet. Our research deals with a complex and multidisciplinary study of the underwater artefacts. The results of the gathered data will allow us to create a 3D reconstruction of the cargo and will provide us with more detailed information about the marbles' provenance and dating. This research will give us deeper knowledge and understanding of the relationships and trade routes pursued in antiquity. There are four BLUEMED underwater archaeological sites - two in Italy, one in Croatia and one in Greece. For each country, an augmented diving system and a knowledge awareness centre will be developed.

 
 
 
 
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CROATIA 

 

The Cavtat Underwater Archaeological Sites, Croatia - DUNEA, UNIZG-FER
Cavtat is located only 20 km south of the UNESCO World Heritage Site of Dubrovnik. In this archaeological zone there are two sites: one with dolias and one with amphoras. The Amfora site is one of the largest and best preserved ancient shipwrecks with a cargo of amphoras on the east coast of the Adriatic. Because of its value, the site is covered with a protective cage. The findings date from the IV century AD. Only 300 m from Amfora, there is a site with dolias. It is assumed that this is a shipwreck from the I century AD, although the remains of the ship have never been found. Furthermore, the area in front of the harbour was used as anchorage and there are many other individual findings which add to the richness of this site.

 

GREECE 

The Classical Shipwreck, North of «Kokalia» Bay, in the sea area of Peristera, Alonnisos
It is considered to be the largest shipwreck of the classical period and it was located by Dimitris Maurikis in 1985 in Alonnissos, at Peristera Island channel, almost opposite the coastal settlement of Alonnisos, at Steni Vala. The ship, which most likely was an Athenian merchant one, sunk at a depth of 20 to 30 m, around 425 – 415 BC. Its dimensions were 30 m length and 10 m width. 


Shipwreck at Kikinthos, at the West Shores of the South Pagasetic Gulf
Kininthos islet is a natural breakwater, lying at the east of Amaliapolis bay. At the northern end of the island, at a depth of just 2,5 m there is a large concentration of broken ceramics. The pile extends from 3,5 m to 9 m and occupies an area of around 8 by 12 meters. A few more fragments of ceramics can be found scattered at 12 meters depth. The majority of the ceramics is composed by fragments of large pithoi/storage jars, but there are parts of Byzantine trade amphorae. The shipwreck is dated in XII - XIV century A.D. 


Akra Glaros, at the West Shores of the South Pagasetic Gulf
At Akra Glaros and particularly at the north eastern sea area two byzantine shipwrecks were located. Group of amphorae were found, between XII and XII century A.D., while the dating of the shipwrecks is confirmed by two metal anchors in a «Υ» shape, characteristic of that period. 

 

Tilegrafos Bay, Two Shipwrecks, at the West Shores of the South Pagasetic Gulf 
An important shipwreck, from the end of the IV century A.D., of late roman amphorae was located and excavated (nine types of well-preserved amphorae can be seen). The first shipwreck lies at a depth of 17 to 28 m. The second shipwreck, from XI and XII century A.D. lies at a depth of 11 to 20 m. Two kinds of amphorae can be seen at the cargo.