According to the UNESCO estimation, there are over three million shipwrecks on the seabed, but fewer than one percent of them have been explored [1]. Those that have been located are not surveyed due to the lack of resources and time. The underwater engineers are opting for on-site examination and in-situ preservation of underwater cultural heritage sites as opposed to the more traditional excavation and conservation methods. Finland is known for its well-preserved wrecks from the 18th century, such as the cargo ships Sankt Mikael (1747) and Vrouw Maria (1771). Sankt Mikael is a first-class ancient monument and a common national treasure with a status of protected site since 1999. KAREG Consulting Engineers was mandated to develop a plan for salvage operations of the Sankt Mikael shipwreck and make all essential structural assessments, diving investigations and calculations. In the spring 1998, an anchoring system for reliable multi-point attachment of research vessels was built for the protection of the wreck and safety of diving followed by the implementation of a monitoring system based on fixed measurement points to track the inclination of the masts and structural changes in the hull of the wreck. Structural underwater heritage discovery is nowadays aided with big data and Artificial Intelligence (AI)-powered re-navigation software. Utilization of advanced AI technologies, the research of shipwrecks will collect, analyze and interpret complex data, explore patterns and interactions for the preservation and management of the underwater heritage structures.