The exploration of Eastern Mediterranean deep hypersaline anoxic basins with MODUS: a significant example of technology spin-off from the GEOSTAR program
نویسندگان
چکیده
A significant example of technological spin-off from the GEOSTAR project is the special-purpose instrumented module, based on the deep-sea ROV MODUS, developed in the framework of the EU-sponsored project BIODEEP. The goal to be achieved has been defined as the exploration of the deep hypersaline anoxic basins of the Eastern Mediterranean Sea through real-time video images, measurements and accurate video-guided sampling at water depths well exceeding 3000 m. Due to their peculiar characteristics, these basins are one of the most extreme environments on Earth and represent a site of utmost interest for their geochemical and microbial resources. The paper presents the strategies and the main results achieved during the two cruises carried out within the BIODEEP project. Mailing address: Dr. Elisa Malinverno, CoNISMa LRU, Dipartimento di Scienze Geologiche e Geotecnologiche, Università di Milano «Bicocca», Piazza della Scienza 4, 20126 Milano, Italy: e-mail: [email protected]
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