This is a free course in maritime archaeology presented by Andrew Viduka (from GIRT) and Toni Massey (Principal Heritage Officer and Maritime Archaeologist from Queensland Heritage).

Divers must attend this course to be a GIRT diver and participate in GIRT dives on sites of interest.

"GIRT" stands for Gathering Information via Recreational and Technical Scientific Divers. It is a conservation focused no-impact citizen-science project. It aims to train members to systematically document observable physical and natural features of historic shipwrecks, submerged aircraft and other underwater cultural heritage in an open sea water environment in order to facilitate their ongoing protection and management. The focus of the GIRT citizen science project is to enable better understanding of the condition of sites and the factors driving their preservation or deterioration. It also aims to encourage interested people to have an active and positive public archaeology role.

GIRT members ‘adopt a wreck’ they are willing to monitor at least once a year using the GIRT methodology sharing this data to inform the condition of sites.

OCEAN DIVERS PLEASE NOTE: The first GIRT dive by Brisbane-BSAC is to the Aarhus wreck on 23 February 2020. Because of the depth and the task-loading expected, Ocean Divers may not participate in GIRT project work on the Aarhus. However divers, including Ocean Divers, may dive the Aarhus as a recreational dive if they are not participating in the GIRT project. Ocean Divers may not exceed 20m depth.