Unveiling History's Secrets: Conservation and Discovery in the Mediterranean Sea with Mario Arena & Pascal Van Erp

What do you get when you combine environmental and historical conservation? The latest Healthy Seas project! In this episode, Pascal Van Erp from Healthy Seas and Ghost Diving, and Mario Arena from the Society for the Documentation of Submerged Sites (SDSS), share about their recent, exciting, eight-day expedition off Italy's Lampedusa Island.The area was the site of World War II's Battle of the Convoys which saw hundreds of ships, submarines, and planes brought down over a three-year period. With the help of volunteer divers who removed large fishing nets that covered one particular shipwreck, they were able to identify and document the ill-fated vessel. They discuss the unique conditions they experienced, the advanced equipment they used, and the historical discoveries that will be shared in an upcoming museum exhibition.This collaborative effort was generously funded by Hyundai. If you enjoyed this episode, please be sure to subscribe, rate and review it! This helps to boost its visibility.Healthy Seas is a marine conservation organization whose mission is to tackle the ghost fishing phenomenon and turn this waste into an opportunity for a more circular economy. They do this through clean-ups, prevention, education, and working with partners who recycle and repurpose this material. The podcast is hosted by Crystal DiMiceli.