Submerged landscapes have important applied implications for historical knowledge and future planning, contributing to 1) the reconstruction of the paleoenvironments present during glacial ages on what nowadays are continental shelves, 2) the identification of the profound transformation they underwent during marine transgression and 3) the study, and protection, of submerged archaeological and geoheritage sites threatened by competing offshore activities, such as wind farm development, sand dredging, and infrastructure emplacement.
In February 2026, a working group meeting was held in Rome, Italy with participants from 12 countries, to discuss further activities related to data collection and harmonisation that will be implemented in the new phase of the EMODdnet Geology activity. An important challenge is how to gather information about new submerged landscapes proxies, such as plant and animal remains and their ages—for example, in situ tree stumps preserved in seabed sediments, or remains of Pleistocene megafauna (such as woolly mammoth) whose habitats were flooded by the sea.
Submerged landscape features collected so far in the EMODnet Geology database ©EMODnet Geology
Another focus was on data on traces of activity and the remains of prehistoric humans—and other hominins, such as Neanderthals—that were submerged during marine transgressions. In underwater environments, favourable conditions may have allowed the preservation of ancient DNA. New European projects are expected to significantly advance scientific research in the near future, for instance, on underwater landscapes and potentially also on settlement sites associated with hominin groups. Similarly, the outcome of previous EU projects on the subject may be found in EMODnet Geology, the ideal site to ensure long-term repository and accessibility to the databases that were previously collected.
Side-scan sonar mosaic and underwater drone photos showing the submerged river valley in the Gulf of Riga, Baltic Sea, as an example of a paleolandscape feature lost due to Holocene sea-level rise ©EMODnet Geology