GIRT Scientific Divers

Gathering Information via Recreational and Technical (GIRT) Scientific Divers is a conservation focused no-impact citizen-science project. It aims to train members to systematically document observable physical and natural features of historic shipwrecks, submerged aircraft and other underwater cultural heritage in an open sea water environment, to facilitate their ongoing protection and management.

The focus of the GIRT citizen science project is to enable better understanding of the condition of sites and the factors driving their preservation or deterioration. It also aims to encourage interested people to have an active and positive public archaeology role.

GIRT members (individuals, groups and businesses) ‘adopt-a-wreck’ that is of interest to them and agree to monitor the site periodically using the GIRT survey methodology to enable longitudinal comparative assessment of condition change. Starting in the first year of observations, GIRT members allocate a ‘traffic light’ indication of threat to the site’s preservation (Green, Yellow, Orange, Red) based on observed threats and their likelihood of impact. The adopted wreck’s coloured icon shown on the ADOPTED WRECK page of this website changes to reflect the most recent assessment. Submitted survey reports are accessible from the same ADOPTED WRECK page by clicking on the link in the pop up box.

All GIRT survey records are:
•linked to the names of the GIRT members who undertook the survey and their adopted site;
•accessible from the public pages on the GIRT website; and
•accessible as a downloadable PDF for GIRT members personal files or to add to their country’s formal record in a given statutory database.

By being able to add GIRT monitoring records to a statutory database, annual observations of a site’s condition will never be lost and GIRT member contributions will be permanently recognised. Also, promoting the democratisation of information, GIRT member contributions will facilitate a greater understanding of what is happening in our marine coastal environment from climate change and its impact on our underwater cultural heritage. Potentially, with enough GIRT members adding their individual observations, the GIRT citizen science project may be able to go beyond understanding a specific site’s ‘equilibrium’ in the environment over time and obtain an understanding of what is happening more broadly to underwater cultural heritage – locally and/or regionally.

Through your participation in GIRT, you can assist others to easily see the condition of your site, the threats to your adopted site and if there are patterns to events occurring in the marine environment that may impact other nearby wrecks. Through these methods GIRT members can contribute directly to science-based decision making and potentially the prioritisation of activities by relevant authorities or appropriately qualified community groups to protect or undertake rescue archaeology of submerged sites.

If you are a qualified diver with at least 50 logged dives (& at least 10 in the past year), passionate about preserving underwater cultural heritage for the future, and love diving shipwrecks, submerged aircraft or other underwater cultural heritage, then JOIN GIRT!

Interesting fact: The term GIRT is not only an acronym for this citizen science programme but a nod to the word in the Australian National Anthem: Australians all let us rejoice, For we are one and free; We’ve golden soil and wealth for toil; Our home is girt by sea…….. The definition of Girt means surrounded by or encircled.