A new project is set to investigate historic maritime sites around the UK which are increasingly vulnerable to the effects of climate change.

On Thursday, October 19, the University of Southampton announced it would receive around £2 million from the UKRI Arts and Humanities Research Council (AHRC) over ten years to set up and run the new Coastal and Inland Waters Heritage Science Facility.

It will help preserve some significant and at-risk sites, such as shipwrecks, historic ports, and ancient dwellings.

These sites all tell important stories about the UK's maritime past.

The facility is one of 31 projects sharing a £37 million award in the first stage of the AHRC's Research Infrastructure for Conservation and Heritage Science (RICHeS) programme.

All projects funded by the programme aim to unlock the potential of existing heritage collections and provide access to untapped cultural assets.

The aim is to safeguard and grow the country's £29 billion heritage sector and kickstart economic growth.

The Southampton facility will use the latest 3D scanning, sensing, and data capture technology, along with uncrewed aerial, surface, and underwater vehicles, to explore lakes, coasts, and inland waterways.

It will examine anything from million-year-old tools and footprints to downed aircraft and submerged settlements.

The project will draw on the breadth of the university's strengths in marine and maritime research to accelerate technological applications and development.

Nationally, other projects funded by the AHRC award include conserving world-renowned artwork at the Tate, using cutting-edge equipment to protect UK film and video collections, and safeguarding biocultural collections for future research.

Project leader and archaeologist at the University of Southampton, Professor Fraser Sturt, said: "Climate change means our oceans are warming, storms are becoming more frequent and coastal and river flooding are more likely. This poses a threat to the future of many vulnerable heritage sites which lie in the sea just off our shores, in waterways and submerged in lakes.

"These sites can unlock hidden histories – telling us about how people once lived, how they moved and migrated, traded and shared ideas and sadly also where conflict arose. However, the sites are also often difficult to explore due to shallow waters or rocky inlets."