The National Park Service (NPS) American Battlefield Protection Program (ABPP) was created to assist individuals, groups, organizations, and governments with researching, evaluating, interpreting, and protecting historic American battlefields. Battlefield sites hold national significance and are preserved so that present and future generations can “better understand the connection between military conflicts and important social and political changes” (ABPP 2019). Since 1991, ABPP and partner organizations have surveyed more than 650 American battlefields covering 16 wars. Today, ABPP continues to allocate grants for the study and preservation of historic American battlefields, both submerged and terrestrial. The ABPP provided funding for the development of this manual because of the unique circumstances inherent in the study of submerged battlefields. For more information, visit www.nps.gov/abpp.

The study of submerged battlefields is guided by current battlefield
research methodologies, including analysis of historic documents,
terrain, and artifacts. The major difference between terrestrial and
submerged battlefield archeology is the environmental site context;
working in submerged environments requires the use of different
technologies to access sites and interpret terrain features. The aim of
this manual is to present the steps necessary for identifying, recording,
and preserving submerged battlefields and is designed for use by
SHPOs, THPOs, and ABPP grantees.