NAIROBI, July 16 (Xinhua) -- Kenya plans to establish a network of marine museums across the country to boost tourism, an official said on Monday.

Caesar Bita, head of underwater archaeology at the National Museums of Kenya, told Xinhua in Nairobi that the museums will be located offshore along the Indian Ocean coastline, major lakes and rivers.

"The museums will be used to collect, preserve and display Kenya's underwater cultural heritage in order to boost the tourism sector," Bita said on the sidelines of the Fifth World Congress of Geoversal Civilization.

The event, which runs from July 16 to 21, aims to promote cooperation among world civilizations.

The marine museums will also provide important information for researchers around the world.

Bita said the marine museums will remain underwater due to the high cost of preserving archaeological artifacts on land.

There has been increasing interest among local and foreign tourists in Kenya's marine artifacts and memorabilia, he said.

The National Museums of Kenya is also collaborating with international partners, including China and the United States, to document Kenya's rich cultural heritage that is buried underwater.

So far, archaeologists have discovered 30 shipwrecks that are hundreds of years old along the Indian Ocean that belonged to Portuguese, Arab, British and Chinese explorers, Bita said.

Bita said Kenya's indigenous communities living along rivers and lakes also have a rich maritime culture that will be displayed at the marine museums.