The North Sea Wrecks is an EU Interreg North Sea Region funded research consortium that aims to:

1. Increase the knowledge about the existence, location and characteristics of dangerous underwater objectives in the North Sea;
2. Increase the capacity for assessing the risk represented by wrecks, cargo, munitions and prioritizing the mitigation measures; and
3. Increase the transnational cooperation level of all relevant actors.

The consortium comprises partners from the North Sea countries including the Department of Geoscience, AU (SeisLab Arhus), Alfred-Wegener Institute (AWI) Bremerhaven, German Maritime Museum, Christian-Albrecths University (CAU) of Kiel, Flanders Marine Institute (VLIZ) Oostende, Maritime Institute Willem Barentsz (MIWB) Terschellingen, Forsvarets Forskningsintitutt Oslo, EGEOS Kiel, and Periplus Amsterdam.

The project runs for a period of 4 years (Nov 2018 – Oct 2022). During a research cruise in spring 2020 we will survey two specific wrecks in the Danish North Sea to investigate how geology/seafloor processes affect the risks from wrecks (and munition) in the North Sea by mapping the spatial and temporal sedimentation rates (erosion and deposition) around the wrecks. 

Our key collaboration partner for the research cruise is the Sea War Museum in Thyborøn. Together with JD-Contractor, they hold unique knowledge of and experience in investigations of wrecks from WWI and WWII in the Danish North Sea which is of great benefit for the North Sea Wrecks project.