World Listening Day 2011

The Vrouw Maria Shipwreck Site Underwater Soundscape 2011

Location: Northern Baltic Sea, Finland, Archipelago Sea

Vrouw Maria – a Dutch snow ship which sank off the coast of Finland in 1771 – has been managed in situ since the discovery of the wreck in 1999. The wreck is exceptionally well-preserved and it has great international cultural historical significance. The environmental conditions at the site are favorable for preservation.

Between 2001 – 2004 Vrouw Maria represented Finland in an international European Union funded project called MoSS. The Project was set up with the aim of monitoring, safeguarding and visualizing shipwrecks in situ.

The Project Vrouw Maria Underwater spans from 2009 to 2012. It aims to preserve the wreck in situ and to display it by the help of a fieldwork blog, a virtual simulation showing the wreck in its underwater landscape and soundscape and a museum exhibition at the Maritime Museum of Finland in Kotka (open between 27th of April – 2nd of December 2011).  These methods are suitable ways for public access for a wreck located in a Natura 2000 Area where recreational diving is prohibited.

In July 2011 underwater soundscape was recorded at the site. These recordings shall be used in several ways, for example in the simulation and at the blog site, to create soundscape for the exhibition, to write an article of the Vrouw Maria soundscape, and to act as a general record of the site.

Vrouw Maria is located in an underwater valley. The area is a Natura 2000 area and there is not much traffic in the area. Only seals, fishes and birds habitate the environment. The site is a very silent place at the depth of around 40 meters.

The sounds have been recorded with an Aquarian Audio H2a-XLR hydrophone through a MOTU Audio Express audio interface.

[audio https://vrouwmariavedenalla.files.wordpress.com/2011/07/sample1.mp3]

Sample 1: Morning silence 5.7.2011 at around 06:15, depth 20 meters

[audio https://vrouwmariavedenalla.files.wordpress.com/2011/07/sample2.mp3]

Sample 2: Research vessel Muikku arrives 5.7.2011 at 07:45, depth 20 meters

[audio https://vrouwmariavedenalla.files.wordpress.com/2011/07/sample3.mp3]

Sample 3: Sounds of the underwater archaeological field work 7.7.2011 at around 15:15, depth 15 meters

Map of the area. The yellow star indicates the position of the hydrophone during recordings 1 and 2. The red star shows the approximate location during recording 3. The black arrow marks the rough course of r/v Muikku during recording 2. Multibeam sonar image: Meritaito Oy.