Those charged with protection of resources falling within the public domain, including submerged sites, continuously strive to find the best management solutions. Given the advent of recreational diving in the last half century and advances in underwater survey and exploration technology, pressures have increased dramatically on submerged archaeological sites. Users of these p- lic resources fall into groups with various needs and agendas, including divers, fishermen, salvers, scientists, and the tourism industry (Kauru and Hoagland, 1994). To insure that all people are represented in the decision-making process, site managers have increasingly argued that public outreach and education is vitally important. “Without public appreciation of the importance of archa- logical sites and information,” states one early proponent, “there can be no effective protection of sites. ” Archaeologist Charles McGimsey (1972:6) c- tinues, “. . . the greater one’s knowledge of archaeology, regardless of formal training in the subject, the greater the responsibility to take the initiative to lead, to teach, and to persuade others to do likewise. ” Some also suggest that rather than rely solely on museum interpretive displays the public should be allowed to observe heritage resources in their original setting, which can strengthen the spirituality and meaningfulness of the experience (Carter and Horneman, 2001:67-68). Managers must be aware that from a purely archaeological perspective, public access is not a preferred option for those sites that still retain significant, undo- mented remains.
The spectacle of archaeology stirs the public interest like few other topics. Sowing the "detective story", finding the missing pieces of the puzzle, understanding an instilled sense of identity, making connections to the material culture, following the global discourse on heritage protection and conservation (i.e. the Elgin Marbles) – are all part of the nexus of cultural values that define the meaning of archaeology to individuals and to the public at large.
Along with the debates archaeological sites are also often in view of the public – on land, as well as, underwater. Maritime cultural resources encompass sites that, because of their (often) proximity to urban or traveled areas (harbors, rivers, ports) are easily damaged but not easily visible. This leads to special challenges to site management regarding conservation, protection, and enforcement of legal mandates for public education outreach and interpretation.
The editors have brought together state of the art ideas, research and scholarship associated with maritime public education and interpretation. With few publications currently available that feature the public interpretation of maritime and submerged cultural resources, this edited volume will add to a limited body of knowledge in a field that is steadily growing.
