一九八二年聯合國海洋法公約雖然具備「海洋憲法」之地位，但作為一個規範全球各國海洋權益及全人類海洋活動之多邊國際公約，海洋法公約對水下文化遺產的保護是不足夠的。然此缺失藉二○○一年十一月二日聯合國教育、科學及文化組織於第三十一屆大會中通過的「保護水下文化遺產公約」多少加以彌補。 　　本文首先檢視一九八二年聯合國海洋法公約中對在海洋中所發現之「考古與歷史文物」的公約規則，以及其所創造的法律疑義，再呈現保護水下文化遺產公約中有關補充或修正海洋法公約之規則，接著探討臺灣國內法中與保存、保護與管理水下文化資產相關之國內立法的不足與問題。

The 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) enjoys the status as a "Constitution for the Oceans". However, being a multinational convention which regulates national ocean rights and duties as well as human ocean activities on a global plane, it is insufficient in terms of its protection on the underwater cultural heritage. This flaw was somewhat amended by the adoption of the "Convention on the Protection of the Underwater Cultural Heritage" (UCH Convention) on 2 November 2001 in the 31st Conference of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization. This paper firstly review the conventional rules respecting "archaeological and historical objects" found at sea in the UNCLOS as well as the legal controversies that they created, and then presents the rules provided for by the UCH Convention in supplementing and/or amending the previous rules contained in the UNCLOS, followed by an exploration of the insufficiency and problems of the relevant domestic legislation of Taiwan relating to the preservation, protection and management of UCH.