Dr John McCarthy

Dr John McCarthy is a DECRA Fellow and Senior Lecturer in Maritime Archaeology at Flinders University. His research spans digital innovation in archaeological methods, submerged landscapes, and European merchant vessels of the Early Modern period. A qualified Scientific Diver, he has directed surveys of numerous shipwrecks dating from the 17th century onward and has played a leading role in submerged landscape research, contributing to investigations in the North Sea, Baltic, Levant, and Australia. In 2020, he was part of the team that discovered and surveyed Australia’s first confirmed subtidal Aboriginal archaeological site.

Dr McCarthy is currently completing a DECRA Fellowship exploring the application of machine learning to the detection of submerged archaeological landscapes in Australian waters. His work often integrates passive and active remote sensing data to produce digital reconstructions for use in animation and virtual reality. Beyond academic research, he has extensive experience in archaeological excavation and survey, cultural heritage mitigation in development contexts, strategic heritage assessments, and has contributed expert input in Native Title cases.