Fossilized coral reefs in the Great Barrier Reef could reveal to scientists how sea levels have changed over the past 20,000 years.

Described as the “trees of the sea”, coral have growth rings that show seasonal variations.

Researchers say the samples will also shed light on past sea temperatures, as well as other changes to the reef.

Alan Stevenson, team leader of marine geology at the British Geological Survey (BGS), which is involved in the project, said the fossilised corals’ annual growth rings provided an insight to conditions under waves.

“We can then analyse those rings to build up a very detailed picture of what the ocean was like when they were forming, including temperature and salinity.

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A shipwreck located off the Greek island of Polyaigos has been designated an underwater archaeological site.

The shipwreck, first spotted in 2004, was initially explored by underwater archaeologists in the fall of 2009, the Athens News Agency reported today. These excavations resulted in the discovery of valuable archaeological objects, including amphorae, ceramic vases and fragments of the vessel’s anchor.

In addition, the shipwreck was photographed and filmed in detail, which allowed the creation of a high-definition photo-mosaic, while procedures have been set in motion to designate the area as an underwater archaeological site.

The analysis of the recovered amphorae dated the wreck to between the end of the fifth century and the first half of the fourth century BC. At least three types of amphorae were identified, one of which originated from ancient Peparithos (the island of Skopelos), while the others were closely identified with Classical Era amphorae workshops of the northern Aegean.??The Polyaigos shipwreck, according to the Ministry’s announcement, cited by the media, sheds light in the study of sea-borne commercial routes of the Classical period and the movement of goods in the southwestern part of the Cyclades island chain.

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This American Life is one of my favourite podcasts. Last weeks episode, which I’m just getting around to, features a story on Fred van Doorninck and George Bass, the fathers of underwater archaeology. It’s a fascinating piece, and I highly recommend listening. You can listen to the whole episode online by clicking here, and you can subscribe to This American Life by clicking here. The story starts at the 23 minute mark.

Fred van Doorninck and George Bass were unlikely candidates for pioneering underwater Byzantine archaeology—Fred hates water, and George found the Byzantine era boring. But that’s exactly what they did, when they devoted 50 years to uncovering the mysteries of a shipwreck. Along the way they changed how we think about a thousand years of history. Planet Money’s Adam Davidson tells the story. (12 minutes)

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A diver in Maui has discovered the WWII wreckage of a plane.

He said the plane appears to be a World War II U.S. Navy dive bomber. The Douglas SBD-5 Dauntless saved America during the Battle of Midway.

“We were on the ropes. We were behind. We were losing. This aircraft turned the tide,” said Scotty Scott of the Pacific Aviation Museum.

A replica hangs at the museum.

The single-engine two-man bomber could reach speeds of 250 mph, carrying ammunition and a 1,000-pound payload.

The United States had over 2,000 of them.

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Temperature changes in the Baltic Sea has allowed shipworms to move in, threatening to destroy underwater archaeological sites in ten years.

The shipworm is capable of completely destroying large maritime archaeological finds in only 10 years, and while it has avoided the Baltic Sea in the past, since it does not do well in low salinity water, it can now be spotted along both the Danish and German Baltic Sea coasts.

‘The shipworm has for example attacked shipwrecks from the 1300s off the coast of Germany, and we are also starting to see its presence along the Swedish coast, for example at the Ribersborg cold bath house in Malmö,’ says Christin Appelqvist, doctoral student at the Department of Marine Ecology, University of Gothenburg.

Appelqvist and her colleagues believe that the development may be due to climate change. In short, the increased water temperature may help the shipworms to become adapted to lower salinity. The group is part of the EU project WreckProtect, a cooperative effort to assess which archaeological treasures are at risk. The project includes researchers from Sweden, Denmark and the Netherlands, as well as experts from France and Germany.

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