A Forgotten Maritime Highway: Maritime Cultural Heritage of the Emperor Seamounts with Implications for High Seas Conservation

Abstract

This article seeks to complement efforts to summarize information on the exceptional natural significance of the Emperor Seamounts. The human history of the Emperor Seamounts is culturally diverse and spans thousands of years. This ranges from indigenous cultures to the period of European colonial exploration and expansion to the rise of the modern global economy and its impact on the area through the hunting of marine mammals, fishing, and the transportation of commodities across these remote waters on ships. Some of these vessels were wrecked or disappeared, and may rest on the seabed of the Emperor Seamounts. Understanding this human history is critical in approaching the assessment, ongoing study, public outreach and management of this remote region, which has been highlighted as one of the most important areas beyond national jurisdiction to protect globally.