Photo by Thierry Boyer

Advisory Council on
Underwater Archaeology

Photo by Shawn Arnold

Advisory Council on
Underwater Archaeology

Photo by Brett Seymour

Advisory Council on
Underwater Archaeology

Photo by Nicole Grinnan

Advisory Council on
Underwater Archaeology

ACUA Graduate Student Associate Member Call for Applications

The ACUA is seeking candidates to fill one (1) Graduate Student Associate Member position (GSA). The ACUA has four concurrent GSAs serving on the Board. This announcement is to fill one vacant position. The GSA term will run from the date of appointment through December 31, 2026 and is a voluntary appointment. The goal is to encourage greater participation in the annual SHA conference through the organization of symposium, panels, or workshops; to enhance the ACUA’s educational public outreach through the ACUA Student Newsletter and social media; and to provide the GSA with an opportunity for professional development. For more information about qualifying, applying, and submitting for this position, please download the ACUA GSA application guidelines. Application Deadline April 5, 2024.  To learn more about being a GSA, check out former GSA Lindsay Wentzel’s blog post.

6th Sort-of-Annual Noble Duck Race Winners

The results are in! Check out all the action at the Holiday Inn Resort, Pensacola. Ready, set, race!

The results are in for the 2025 Duck Race! The winners are: 1st place – Bill Utley, 2nd Place – Scott Strimling, 3rd place – James Smailes. Thank you everyone for joining in on all the fun!

Photo & Video Contest Voting Results are In!

We thank all of the SHA members who participated in the NOLA 2025 Photo & Video Contest. We had 44 amazing photo entries and 3 great videos! Scroll down to see them all! The results are in, visit the Photo Contest 2025 page and enjoy. All of the photo contest fees go to support student attendance at the annual SHA Conference on Historical and Underwater Archaeology. Thank you for participating!

2025 ACUA Student Travel Awards – Congratulations

ACUA & RECON Offshore Student Travel Award

Dorian Lee Record is the winner of the 2025 ACUA & RECON Offshore Student Travel Award for the New Orleans, Louisiana conference. Learn more about this award and meet Dorian.

Dorian Record receiving ACUA & RECON Offshore Award. Jennifer McKinnon, chair ACUA (left), Dorian (center), Michael Krivor, Recon Offshore (right).

Both awards are part of the ACUA’s efforts to expand opportunities for students.

Each fall, the ACUA announces a call for applications for two student travel awards to attend the SHA Conference on Historical and Underwater Archaeology. The George R. Fischer International Student Travel award is offered in remembrance of the late George R. Fischer. We congratulate this year’s winners and thank the Fischer family for their support of this award and for allowing the ACUA to continue to remember George at each award with a small urn holding his ashes. The ACUA & RECON Offshore Student Travel Award is open to all qualified students. Requirements and information on applications can be found on the ACUA Awards page.

George R. Fischer International Student Travel Award

Alyssa Pietraszek from the University of Haifa and Alexandra Tyas from the University of Iceland are the winners of the 2025 George R. Fischer International Student Travel award for the New Orleans, Louisiana conference. Learn more about this award and meet Alexandra and Alyssa.

Alyssa Pietrasazek receiving the George R Fischer international student travel award. Alyssa (left), Jennifer McKinnon, chair ACUA (right).
Alexandra Tyas receiving the George Fischer international student travel award. Alexandra (right), Jennifer McKinnon, chair ACUA (right).

Fall 2024 ACUA Student Newsletter

The latest issue of the ACUA Student newsletter, produced by the ACUA Graduate Student Associate members, is now available. It features articles on current student research in Lagos, Portugal, assessing intangible UCH, and Wisconsin’s rich maritime heritage. Download the latest copy and sign up to submit your research. This issue is the 31st since the inception of the newsletter in Spring 2013. There is a 14 year archive of past newsletters you can enjoy. Contribute your research article now!

2024 ACUA Proceedings Available

The 2024 Underwater Archaeology Proceedings, edited by Bert Ho and Della Scott-Ireton is now available for sale. Visit the ACUA Storefront and get your hard copy or ePub.

Recent Deep Thoughts

Working with Avocational Archaeologists to Advance Underwater Archaeology: Putting the “Vocation” in Avocational Archaeology

The value of vocationals and their contributions is significant. They provide more than their time. Read more about what they bring to all underwater archaeology preservation efforts.

Three Years and Going: Wisconsin Shipwreck Coast NMS

Although Wisconsin’s Shipwreck Coast National Marine Sanctuary is only three years old, lots of exciting research is going on.

Beneath the surface of our oceans, lakes, rivers, and wetlands lies a physical record of humankind preserved in prehistoric and historic shorelines, shipwrecks, inundated cities, harbors, and other traces of our past.

Core Principles

Ethics, respect, diversity and equity are the core principles around which we should all strive to lead our professional and personal lives. The ACUA strongly encourages all professional organizations to promote ethical principles, non-discrimination, anti-harassment, and anti-racist policies among their memberships.

Vision Statement

The ACUA serves as an international advisory body on issues relating to underwater archaeology, conservation, and submerged cultural resources management. It is working to educate scholars, governments, sport divers, and the general public about underwater archaeology and the preservation of underwater resources.


Support provided by the Society for Historical Archaeology

2025 Copyright Advisory Council on Underwater Archaeology. All rights reserved.