Paola Palma

Paola reviewing parts of a wreck

Paola's interest in all things nautical began at an early age in her native Italy and was inspired further by her undergraduate degree in the floating city – Venice. "When I was young I saw the raising of the Mary Rose on the news in Italy. I was so fascinated by it and in that moment I decided one day I was going to be a maritime archaeologist and I would work there. Many years later I achieved my dream by working for The Mary Rose Trust and even met the patron, HRH, Prince of Wales," says Paola.

Her specific focus is monitoring the degradation and preservation of underwater cultural heritage. "Global warming is severely affecting the survival of underwater archaeology," explains Paola. Her work is important because Maritime Archaeology is a niche field which is at risk of disappearing from the research scene due to several factors including environmental threats and lack of funding.

Paola moved to the UK in 1998 and undertook an MA at University of Southampton. She is a member of the Institute for Archaeologists, the Maritime Affairs Group, the Nautical Archaeological Society and a Fellow of the prestigious Linnean Society of London – the world's leading group for the study and dissemination of natural history.

She is passionate about outreach and making underwater archaeology accessible to all, which involves working closely with local museums to fuel public participation and ownership of the local heritage. "This is important," says Paola as "limited accessibility also limits people's enjoyment and interest, creating an 'out of sight, out of mind' attitude." Paola firmly believes that by training and actively involving a large variety of key stakeholders, the long term preservation of our heritage will continue to exist for generations to take ownership of and enjoy.

She has been lucky enough to work in different countries and has had some fascinating experiences, ranging from surveying a medieval cog in a fjord off Sweden where "my team and I were the only inhabitants on this little island", and "the best of all – working with the legendary Honor Frost – the pioneer maritime archaeologist in the Mediterranean – he was also my mentor."

Moving from the Mediterranean and adjusting to her work in the UK created some interesting moments, not least of all acclimating to the British weather. "On my first dive in Scotland, everyone was staring at me as I jumped in the water, wearing an old wet suit while everybody else was wearing a dry suit!"

Being Italian, one of Paola's main hobbies is cooking. "Preparing food with passion with fresh ingredients (mainly from my vegetable patch or goods I get couriered from Italy), presenting it nicely and sharing with some good friends and good wine is a perfect way to relax," she enthuses.

So what's the best thing about her job? "Building an important bridge between environmental science and maritime archaeology. The link also between academia and the general public's awareness is what drives me."

And what's the most pressing issue the world faces in her area of research right now? "The potential fast disappearance of underwater cultural heritage which stands proud off the seabed, and the lack of awareness regarding the extent of the damage. More research needs to be done in respect of in situ protection of our underwater heritage. It is perceived to be such a serious problem that UNESCO is now involved with addressing concerns. I personally hope that this will result in key parties adopting a more proactive attitude to solving it."