Among these are the preservation of rock art sites including Cueva de las Manos and the study of HMS Swift (1763), a British ship that sank off the coast of Puerto Deseado in 1770.

[2] As such, the primary focus of the institute is the documentation, preservation, and recovery of cultural heritage, be it physical or non-physical.

[3] In keeping with their mission, they also give recommendations and alternative proposals on regional economic and socio-cultural development.

"[4] Among the institute's current and former projects is the study of HMS Swift (1763), a British ship that sank off of the coast of Puerto Deseado in 1770.

[5] The discovery and investigation of the ship was one of the first taken on by the INAPL's newly created underwater archaeology program in Argentina, which was formed in 1995.