Footage and photography captured on analogue and older formats are on a ticking clock. The materials decay; the machines needed to play them are disappearing; hard drives fail and corrupt.
Ocean Archive exists to confront this challenge. It is building a living record of the sea, its ecosystems and the people who have explored, studied and documented the underwater world, ensuring that these vital stories continue to endure.
Aiming to become one of Europe’s largest repositories of marine-related material, Ocean Archive’s mission is to rescue as much of our memory of the ocean as possible before it disappears into analogue extinction.
Building a living archive
Ocean Archive is being developed carefully, with the long term in mind. The goal is not simply to collect material, but to preserve it properly, with storage systems designed to last for many decades.
The archive is not intended to be a dusty library but an accessible, open resource for educators, researchers and the wider ocean-curious public.
“We don’t want to lock material away – we want to make it discoverable, shareable and alive. Ocean Archive will be a living and ever-expanding record rather than a sealed vault.”
Micke TiLja, Head of operations for Ocean Archive
What we preserve
Film and Photography
From historic diving footage to underwater photography, Ocean Archive preserves visual material that captures the ocean as it was – and helps us understand how it is changing.
Stories and Voices
The archive also protects the human stories behind the images, capturing interviews, memories and testimony from divers, scientists, photographers, filmmakers, journalists, explorers and communities whose lives have been shaped by the sea.
Baselines for the Future
Over time, Ocean Archive will grow from film and photography to include reports, writings, data and scientific material that will tell the story of humanity’s relationship with the sea.
By preserving historic records, Ocean Archive can help future generations compare past and present ocean conditions. These ‘baselines’ have the potential to support education, research and a deeper understanding of environmental change.
