The mission of the Monterey Bay MHA is to research, preserve and promote the maritime heritage and history of Santa Cruz, Monterey Bay and the central California coast by curating and producing maritime heritage and maritime history exhibits for display at local museums, public spaces & outdoor sites. Our area of interest matches the area of the Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary, which extends from Marin, just north of San Francisco, to Cambria, just south of San Simeon.
Our vision is to foster awareness of and engagement in the maritime heritage and maritime history of Santa Cruz, Monterey Bay and the central California coast.
We aim to preserve the knowledge and instill an appreciation of our area’s maritime heritage and history through the research, collection, and display of maritime artifacts, documents, photographs, charts, articles, videos, interviews, and stories.
We plan to develop a wide variety of exhibits related to maritime heritage and maritime history – including art, commerce, science and technology – that can be displayed in local museums, public spaces and outdoor sites.
We also plan to develop informational panels that can be placed near historical sites & features, wharves and harbors, coastal viewpoints, and along coastal trail segments throughout Santa Cruz and the Monterey Bay area.
We will use different formats to create exhibit displays (including physical, visual, audio and virtual).
We will develop materials that can be used by educators to teach about the maritime heritage and history of California’s central coast.
We plan to work with City leaders, and members of our local business, science, research and educational communities and institutions along with local governmental agencies to explore potential locations around the Monterey Bay region for a maritime museum.
We will coordinate and work with other existing maritime museums and maritime heritage and history associations to learn the best approaches to developing maritime displays and to foster community awareness of and engagement in the maritime history of the California coast.
We will provide opportunities for residents and visitors of all ages, backgrounds and abilities to participate in learning about and celebrating the maritime history of our coastal communities.
We will create an online presence with information about who we are, how to contact us, upcoming events, news, online materials and resources.
We will coordinate with local boat designers and boat builders, past and present, who make or have made Santa Cruz and the Monterey Bay area world renowned for fast and fun ultra-light displacement sailboats.
We will also coordinate and collaborate with regional education and marine research institutions to bridge connections between marine science and maritime activities in the Monterey Bay.
What is Maritime History?
Maritime history is the study of human interaction with and activity at sea. Maritime history is the broad overarching subject that includes fishing, whaling, international maritime law, naval history, the history of ships, ship design, shipbuilding, the history of navigation, the history of the various maritime-related sciences (oceanography, cartography, hydrography, etc.), sea exploration, maritime economics and trade, shipping, yachting, seaside resorts, the history of lighthouses and aids to navigation, maritime themes in literature, maritime themes in art, the social history of sailors and passengers and sea-related communities.
What is Maritime Heritage?
As described in NOAA website (Maritime Heritage (noaa.gov)), “Maritime heritage preserves and protects valuable historical, cultural, and archaeological resources within our coastal, marine, and Great Lakes environments… Maritime Heritage includes not only physical resources such as historic shipwrecks and prehistoric archaeological sites, but also archival documents, oral histories, and the stories of indigenous cultures that have lived and used the ocean for centuries. Stewardship of our maritime heritage means preserving and protecting these important historical, cultural, and archaeological resources and is a way of connecting all of us to the ocean, not just those living along the coast. Understanding our maritime heritage helps us explore the history of our country.”
What is the difference between Maritime History and Maritime Heritage?
History tells us what happened in the past; Heritage describes surviving materials of the past – evidence that exists now – in the present.