VOTO Ocean Support Projects
Interested in Ocean Support? Read more about the initiative and how to apply on the Ocean Support page.
-
Medieval Copper Cargo
Project start2026-06
PI and affiliationStaffan von Arbin, Bohuslän Museum
The investigation aims to map the medieval wreck site and establish a basis for recurring inspections and monitoring of the copper cargo.
-
Svärdet
Project start2026-05
PI and affiliationCollaboration between VOTO and Södertörn University
Mapping of the wreck site surrounding the warship Svärdet (1676). Survey using bathymetry, photogrammetry and video.
-
Wreck Search
Project start2026-05
PI and affiliationMikael Björk, Blekinge Museum
Survey and mapping of the seabed in search of Gustav Vasa’s renowned cargo vessel that sank in 1558.
-
Wreck Inventory – Gotska Sandön 2
Project start2026-04
PI and affiliationCollaboration between VOTO and Södertörn University
Inventory and video survey of ten wrecks around Gotska Sandön. The aim is to place the wrecks in a broader context related to Gotska Sandön’s central role in the Baltic Sea over the centuries.
-
Gribshunden
Project start2025-10
PI and affiliationRolf Warming, Södertörn University & Stockholm University
Investigation of a late medieval ammunition store aboard a ship.
-
Wreck Inventory – Gotska Sandön
Project start2025-10
PI and affiliationCollaboration between VOTO and Södertörn University
Inventory and video survey of four wrecks around Gotska Sandön. The aim is to place the wrecks in a broader context related to Gotska Sandön’s central role in the Baltic Sea over the centuries.
-
Impact of trawling
Project start2025-09
PI and affiliationJan-Eike Rossius, Vignesh Gokuladas Menon, Laurenz Thomsen, Gothenurg University
Assessing the Impacts of Trawling on Microbathymetry in the Gullmar Fjord and Surrounding Areas Using Multispectral Multibeam Sonar.
-
SeaCODE
Project start2025-09
PI and affiliationEleanor Frakja-Williams, Hamburg University
Cross-platform glider data diagnostics and flight model evaluation.
-
The Vrak Museum
Project start2025-06
PI and affiliationOdd Johansen, Museum of Wrecks
Support for an exhibition about pre-Viking Vikings and a film about the warship Äpplet.
-
Medieval Warship
Project start2025-05
PI and affiliationRolf Warming, Stockholm University
The project aims to highlight the development of warship superstructures and their connection to advances in naval warfare, particularly the transition from close combat to artillery tactics.
-
Development of the Galley
Project start2025-04
PI and affiliationMatilda Jarl, Södertörn University & National Maritime Museums
Studies of galleys and food- and beverage-related spaces and artefacts on a number of Baltic Sea wrecks from the late medieval and early modern periods.
-
SB in Hudson Bay II-2
Project start2025-02
PI and affiliationJonas Hentati Sundberg, SLU
Development of data processing tool (echopype) for echosounder data.
-
SB in Hudson Bay II-1
Project start2025-02
PI and affiliationJonas Hentati Sundberg, SLU
Shipment and deployment of SB in Hudson Bay to capture the fish stocks outside of a big bird colony.
-
SkaMix
Project start2025-02
PI and affiliationIOW
A German and a Swedish research vessels are in Skagerrak to capture the front from the North Sea. They will use VMP’s, drifters and CTD casts and in addtion to this VOTO will deploy a microstructure-glider and a Sail bouy.
-
Phyco-glider II
Project start2025-02
PI and affiliationBengt Karlson & Lars Arneborg, SMHI
Continuation of Phyco-glider from 2024. New, updated PC Tridente in dry payload on gliders will be used at the same transect as last year.
-
Blekinge Pole Barriers
Project start2025-01
PI and affiliationMikael Björk, Blekinge Museum
Further investigation of known and previously unknown pole barriers, placing them in a broader context based on shipping routes, trading centres, religious sites and burial grounds.
-
Elefanten
Project start2024-10
PI and affiliationVeronika Palm, Västervik Museum
Fieldwork at the wreck Elefanten. Development of collaboration between research institutions, museums and industry on sixteenth-century maritime history.
-
ROV mapping of coral habitats in Kattegat
Project start2024-09
PI and affiliationLina Rasmusson, Gothenburg University
Mapping of a special algae (maerl) in Fladen and lilla Middelgrund. Sampling with CTD and BTL for eDNA. Coring (bottenhugg) for analysis of maerl species.
-
InTail
Project start2024-09
PI and affiliationLaura Bristow, Gothenburg University and Morten Larsen, SDU
Integration of high resolution O2 sensor on glider platform.
-
Support for deploying and maintaining fish tracking infrastructure
Project start2024-09
PI and affiliationGustav Hellström, SLU (Swedish University of Agricultural Science) and Jani Helminen, LUKE (Natural Resources Institute Finland)
Vessel time and maintenance for fish tracking receivers in Kvarken and Ålands Hav during 3 years.
-
Harbour Porpoise
Project start2024-08
PI and affiliationAikaterini Glykou, Stockholm University
Study of the genetic and ecological history of the Baltic harbour porpoise over the last 10,000 years, including population dynamics, genetic diversity and the effects of environmental change.
-
Ghost Ships Exhibition
Project start2024-02
PI and affiliationNational Maritime Museum and Borgholm Museum
Development of an exhibition on Baltic Sea wrecks – cultural heritage beneath the surface.
-
Kelp Mapping
Project start2024-02
PI and affiliationLars Gamfeldt, GU
Methodology development in order to use multibeam/sidescan sonar to do kelp mapping instead of using divers.
-
A Child’s Goatskin Cap
Project start2024-01
PI and affiliationGotlands läns teater
Development of a performance bringing the sinking of S/S Hansa in 1944 to life.
-
HAUV-Inspect
Project start2023-11
PI and affiliationMartin Hassellöv, Bengt Liljebland, GU
Investment of a small AUV for a dedicated (already funded) project.
-
Supporting Skagerrak
Project start2023-11
PI and affiliationLouise Newman, GU
Multibeam and tech support.
-
SB in Hudson Bay
Project start2023-11
PI and affiliationJonas Hentati Sundberg, SLU
Shipment and deployment of SB in Hudson Bay to capture the fish stocks outside of a big bird colony.
-
Windwake
Project start2023-11
PI and affiliationGöran Broström, Thomas Dahlgren, GU
Test trials with SB outside of OWF to see if the SB could capture the windwakes of offshore pylons.
-
Phyco-glider
Project start2023-11
PI and affiliationBengt Karlson & Lars Arneborg, SMHI
New RBR optical sensor mounted in glider west of Gotland to capture phycocyanin blooms.
-
Gribshunden 2
Project start2023-10
PI and affiliationRolf Warming, Stockholm University
Marine archaeological investigation of the wreck Gribshunden.
-
Hansa + Exhibition
Project start2023-09
PI and affiliationCollaboration between VOTO and Gotland Museum
Mapping of the entire wreck site of the ferry Hansa using bathymetry, photogrammetry and video. The material will form part of an exhibition about the disaster.
-
Lost Landscapes
Project start2023-08
PI and affiliationCollaboration between VOTO, the University of Bergen and Lund University
Development of survey capacity and mapping of potential Stone Age settlements in Laholm Bay.
-
Østersøens gåder – Ekko fra dybet
Project start2023-06
PI and affiliationM/S Maritime Museum of Denmark, Helsingør
Development of an exhibition on Baltic Sea wrecks – cultural heritage beneath the surface.
-
Lodjas and Clinker Boatbuilding
Project start2023-03
PI and affiliationNiklas Eriksson, Tori Falck, Stockholm University
Study of what is likely Sweden’s oldest warship (15th century) and investigation of wrecks to understand regional clinker-built shipbuilding traditions and the spread of techniques across the Nordic region.
-
The Osmund Ship
Project start2022-09
PI and affiliationJim Hansson & Catarina Karlsson, Vrak/Jernkontoret
The project aims to increase knowledge of the medieval industrial development of Bergslagen and understand trade, transport and exports through the investigation and documentation of the Osmund Ship (mid-1500s).
-
The Ships of the Vasa Kings
Project start2022-05
PI and affiliationVeronika Palm, Västervik Museum
Investigation of the wreck Elefanten. Diving and clearance work to create a 3D documentation.
-
Medieval Wrecks, Bohuslän
Project start2022-07
PI and affiliationStaffan von Arbin, University of Gothenburg
Investigation of medieval wrecks in Bohuslän.
-
Gribshunden 1
Project start2022-06
PI and affiliationRolf Warming, Stockholm University
Investigation aimed at identifying and documenting construction details related to the ship’s upper deck and superstructure, including high-quality underwater photography and 3D modelling.
-
OLAMUR
Project start2022-05
PI and affiliationEU funded project
CTD and AUV measurements in a OWF at Kriegers flak. VOTO did 2 surveys during 2023 and 2024.
-
Methyl Mercury sampling
Project start2022-04
PI and affiliationErik Björn, Umeå Uni
Sediment core samples were taken to analys the content of methyl mercury.
-
Drone
Project start2022-03
PI and affiliationDarek Baranowski, IGFPAN
Meteorological measurements from aerial drone and SSS and SST from surface CTD from vessel outside of Torhamn.
-
TurboMix
Project start2022-02
PI and affiliationAnna Bulczak, IOPAN
Investment and integration of microstructure sensor on a glider. 4 mission over a year to capture different seasons.
-
Langmuir Cells
Project start2022-01
PI and affiliationAgnieszka Herman, IOPAN
Detection of langmuir cells using ADCP from glider.
-
Elefanten
Project start2021-09
PI and affiliationIngvar Sjöblom, Stockholm University / Swedish Defence University
Documentation of the wreck Elefanten.
-
Blekinge Pole Barriers
Project start2021-07
PI and affiliationMikael Björk, Blekinge Museum
Inventory of pole barriers to clarify why they were constructed and how the religious, economic and physical landscape looked when they were established during the Late Iron Age.
-
Maderö Wreck
Project start2021-07
PI and affiliationNiklas Eriksson, Stockholm University
Marine archaeological investigation of the Maderö wreck to determine the vessel’s type and age and provide new knowledge about medieval ships and seafaring.
-
Sea Change
Project start2021-04
PI and affiliationJohan Rönnby, Södertörn University
Sea Change Research programme examining human responses to a changing sea, contributing marine archaeological perspectives on how people adapt to environmental change.