Karl Mercer has been appointed as Community Heritage Project Officer for three-year Coastal Pasts – Connecting Community with Coastal Heritage at Sandwich Bay project.
Following the award of National Lottery Heritage Fund support earlier this year, the Nautical Archaeology Society (NAS) has appointed Karl Mercer as Community Heritage Project Officer for its Coastal Pasts – Connecting Community with Coastal Heritage at Sandwich Bay project. An experienced heritage professional with a strong background in volunteer engagement, public participation and externally funded heritage initiatives, Karl will lead the community-focused project over the next three years.
Central to his role will be establishing and developing a self-sustaining, multi-generational community heritage group to investigate, record and promote the remarkable coastal archaeology of Sandwich Bay, helping to protect this vulnerable stretch of the Kent coastline and ensure its heritage can be shared with audiences locally and further afield.
The project will give local people the skills and opportunities to actively participate in archaeological investigation, bringing the area’s maritime past to life through research, fieldwork and innovative digital interpretation.
Mark Beattie-Edwards, CEO of the Nautical Archaeology Society, said: “We are delighted to welcome Karl to the team and, in particular, to lead the community engagement at the heart of our Coastal Pasts project. Sandwich Bay has a significant maritime heritage spanning hundreds of years, but its archaeology is under increasing threat from environmental change and human activity.
“Karl brings valuable experience in recruiting and working with volunteers, developing public engagement activities and delivering externally funded heritage initiatives – all of which will be instrumental in creating a strong and sustainable community around the project. With eleven wooden wrecks in the area still unidentified, there is a fascinating story waiting to be uncovered. Through this project, we want local people to play an active role in discovering that story and finding engaging new ways to share it with others.”
Activities will include regular low-tide walks, artefact identification sessions, training in conservation and photogrammetry, shipwreck excavation, archival research, school activities and community talks. The project will also explore innovative approaches to interpretation, including augmented reality to digitally recreate wreck sites and make Sandwich Bay’s maritime heritage accessible to a wider audience.
Commenting on his appointment, Karl Mercer said: “It is rare to find a role that aligns so closely with both my professional experience and personal interests, and I am thrilled to be joining the Nautical Archaeology Society for this project. What particularly excites me is the opportunity to build something with the local community that has a lasting legacy.
“By bringing people of different ages and backgrounds together, we can provide opportunities to develop practical skills and encourage them to take an active role in researching and recording the coastline. In doing so, we can create a sustainable community heritage group that continues to explore, protect and share Sandwich Bay’s rich maritime, archaeological and environmental heritage long beyond the lifetime of the project.”
Karl took up his new role on 1 October 2026. He will be hosting two informal sessions to introduce himself to the local community on Wednesday 4 November, 3-6pm at Sandwich Bay Bird Observatory and Monday 14 December, time and location TBC.
The first official event of the Coastal Pasts – Connecting Community with Coastal Heritage at Sandwich Bay project will be a low-tide walk on Sunday 24 January 2027, 7-8.30am.
To get involved with project, visit the Nautical Archaeology Society website at or contact Karl directly at karl@nauticalarchaeologysociety.org.
