24/09/2026
Underwater robotics, 3D surveying, advanced sensing and remote control to monitor and protect underwater cultural heritage. In Baia, within the Underwater Archaeological Park, the European NERITES system has been tested for the first time under real operational conditions, with the contribution of CNR-ISMAR Naples.
How can an underwater archaeological site be monitored over time, its degradation documented, and potential risk factors identified while minimizing the need for direct human intervention underwater? This is one of the challenges addressed by NERITES (Systematic autonomous remote surveying of underwater cultural heritage monuments and artefacts using non-destructive, cost-effective and transportable digital solutions), a research and innovation project funded by the European Union under Horizon Europe (Grant Agreement No. 101132575).
Running from January 2024 to December 2026, with a total budget of approximately €4 million, NERITES has developed an integrated system for the systematic, remote and non-destructive monitoring of underwater cultural heritage. The project brings together, within a single platform, technologies for underwater robotics, imaging and photogrammetry, advanced sensing, autonomous navigation and remote communication, with the aim of making the monitoring of submerged archaeological sites more accurate, repeatable and sustainable.
From 31 August to 5 September 2026, the NERITES system was tested at the Villa dei Pisoni, within the Underwater Archaeological Park of Baia, as part of the project's first operational pilot. The Baia site represents a particularly valuable natural laboratory for this type of testing. Mosaics, masonry structures, colonnaded areas and different construction materials are exposed to changing environmental conditions, natural processes and pressures associated with human activities. This complex setting provides an ideal context in which the ability to acquire quantitative and comparable data over time can provide important support for conservation strategies.At the Port of Baia, the NERITES technological system was assembled and tested, including the Autonomous Underwater Vehicle (AUV), docking station, surface buoy and Remote Monitoring and Command Centre (RMCC). Once deployed at sea, the system's capabilities were progressively tested, including autonomous navigation, mission planning, path tracking, precision positioning, and the acquisition of three-dimensional and imaging data. The LIBS (Laser-Induced Breakdown Spectroscopy) and QCL (Quantum Cascade Laser) sensors were also tested under field conditions, together with procedures for data management and preparation for subsequent degradation assessment. The operations combined AUV acquisitions, 3D documentation, LIBS and QCL measurements, CTD data, authorized sampling and other reference measurements. The Remote Monitoring and Command Centre also enabled the operations to be followed through a synchronized visualization of images, the mission map, telemetry, system status and preliminary data.
The long-term objective is to transform the monitoring of underwater cultural heritage from a predominantly periodic and manual activity into a more systematic, quantitative, non-invasive and potentially predictive process.The pilot in Baia involved the National Research Council of Italy (CNR), through the Institute of Marine Sciences (CNR-ISMAR), Naples, under the scientific responsibility of Salvatore Passaro. The Institute contributed its expertise in marine geology and geophysics, high-resolution surveying, environmental characterization, and the application of geophysical techniques to the study and protection of underwater cultural heritage.
The data collected during the campaign are currently undergoing post-processing and will be compared with the archaeological and environmental baselines and with the performance indicators defined by the project. The results of the pilot will also contribute to further refining the system ahead of the second NERITES pilot, scheduled to take place in Fournoi, Greece, in October 2026.
Per informazioni:
Salvatore Passaro
salvatore.passaro@cnr.it
0039/081/5423831