IO PAN: Monitoring and Assessment of Dumped Munitions in the Global Ocean

Prof. Timmy Gambin from the Department of Classics and Archaeology, University of Malta, opening the workshop (author Agnieszka Jędruch)

Workshop on Monitoring and Assessment of Dumped Munitions in the Global Ocean

By Agnieszka Jędruch

This week, scientists, practitioners, and decision-makers from around the world are convening in Malta to address the global issue of munitions dumped in the marine environment. The workshop, titled “Monitoring and Assessment of Dumped Munitions in the Global Ocean: An Integrated Approach,” is being held from April 22nd to 27th, 2024, in Birgu, Malta, within the historic interiors of the Malta Maritime Museum.

The event receives patronage and financial support from NATO, through its Science for Peace and Security Programme. Organizers include the University of Malta and Heritage Malta, the national agency for museums, conservation practice, and cultural heritage, alongside the Institute of Oceanology of the Polish Academy of Sciences.

Nearly a hundred participants, including prominent specialists such as oceanographers, military converters, administrators at various levels, archaeologists, historians, and divers, are attending. Representatives from Polish institutions dealing with munitions dumped in the Baltic Sea are also actively participating. These include the Institute of Oceanology of the Polish Academy of Sciences in Gdynia, the Polish Naval Academy in Gdynia, the Military University of Technology in Warsaw, and the University of Gdańsk.

Throughout the workshop, attendees will discuss the latest research findings and methods for detecting and neutralizing submerged munitions, addressing environmental hazards, maritime security, and the archaeological impact on underwater cultural heritage sites. Additionally, participants will have the opportunity to take part in site visits around Malta.

More details, including the detailed program, can be found at the event webpage: https://dumpedmunitions.heritagemalta.mt

Attached files: Event poster (author Agnieszka Jędruch

) rof. Jacek Bełdowski from the Institute of Oceanology, Polish Academy of Sciences, presenting the results of his current research on chemical munitions (author Agnieszka Jędruch)

Ewa Korejwo, Dr. Agnieszka Jędruch, Prof. Jacek Bełdowski, and Dr. Grzegorz Siedlewicz, researchers from the Institute of Oceanology, Polish Academy of Sciences, during the event (author Miłosz Grabowski)