Advisory Council on Underwater Archaeology

ACUA Graduate Student Associate Member Call for Applications

The ACUA is seeking candidates to fill two Graduate Student Associate (GSA) Member positions. The Graduate Student Associate Member is a voluntary, two-year appointment to the board. The term will run from 1 January 2024 through 31 December 2025. The role of the Graduate Student Associate Member is to serve as a liaison between students and the board. The goal is to encourage greater participation by students in the annual conference through paper presentations, the organization of symposia or workshops, and to provide the associate 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 October 1, 2023. To learn more about being a GSA, check out current GSA member Lindsay Wentzel’s blog post.

ACUA 2024 Student Travel Awards Call for Applications

ACUA & RECON Offshore Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Student Travel Award

The ACUA is excited to join efforts in supporting diversity, equity, and inclusion in the field of underwater archaeology with RECON Offshore (https://reconoffshore.com/), a Veteran Owned Small Business (VOSB) providing cultural resources solutions in maritime archaeology. The ACUA & RECON Offshore Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Student Travel Award provides support in the amount of $1,000 (USD) to a student currently studying maritime archaeology or a related field who is presenting a paper or poster on an underwater or maritime archaeology topic at the annual Society for Historical and Underwater Archaeology conference. The goal of this travel award is to increase diversity, equity, and inclusion and to encourage student involvement at the meetings. Diversity is inclusive of race, ethnicity, gender, sexual orientation, abilities, and socioeconomic background. Applicants that self-identify as diverse are encouraged to apply. For more information about qualifying, applying, and submitting for this award, please download the ACUA & RECON Offshore DEI Student Travel Award guidelines and the link to the Awards page: https://acuaonline.org/acua-awards/.The deadline to submit application materials is October 1, 2023.

George Fischer International Student Travel Award

The George Fischer Student Travel Award provides support in the sum of $1,000.00 (USD) for international students currently studying maritime archaeology to attend and present a paper at the annual Society for Historical and Underwater Archaeology conference. George Fischer, a founding member of the ACUA, long supported and advocated for student participation in the annual conference not only for the experience and fostering an exchange of ideas, but the opportunity to meet other students and professionals outside of their home countries. This award, in honor of George, supports the professional development of students embarking on their nascent careers. This in turn furthers the overall mission of the ACUA to foster the growth and development of underwater and maritime archaeology throughout our watery world. Meet past winners and find out more about them. For more information about qualifying, applying, deadlines, and submitting for the student travel award. please download the ACUA George Fischer Student Travel Award guidelines. The deadline to submit application materials is October 1, 2023.

Recent Deep Thoughts

Global Boiling: Underwater Archaeology and Climate Change

Jeneva Wright raises the alarm and offers suggestions for climate change and maritime archaeology in the Anthropocene.

Sub-bottom Sampling? A case for using systematic sampling for site prospection of submerged landscapes

Chelsea Colwell-Pasch suggests new ways to “make the juice worth the squeeze” in sub-bottom sampling for UCH.

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.