AQUARIUS Funding Call – Marine and Freshwater Infrastructure Access: Open 02 September 2025 – 28 October 2025
RHEA
Robotic Exploration of Hydro-thermal Ecosystems in the South Aegean: Linking tectonics, volcanism, and life across the shallow-to-intermediate depth transition
Funded by AQUARIUS Transnational Access Call 2
RHEA (Robotic Exploration of Hydrothermal Ecosystems in the South Aegean) aims to explore and characterize submarine hydrothermal systems in a previously inaccessible depth range between conventional scientific diving and larger deep-sea ROV operations.
“The unique combination of the SPIRULA monitoring platform and the MaxROVer will allow us to explore hydrothermal ecosystems that have largely escaped scientific investigation. SPIRULA is particularly exciting because it can repeatedly monitor the seafloor and the immediate water column within a radius of about 20 metres around its lander, providing a dynamic view of hydrothermal activity rather than just a snapshot in time. Together with targeted sampling by MaxROVer, this approach will help us uncover new links between tectonics, volcanism, hydrothermal activity, and the biological and geochemical processes that shape these unique seafloor ecosystems.”
Solveig Buehring, MARUM – University of Bremen
PARTNERS
MAIN OBJECTIVES
RHEA (Robotic Exploration of Hydrothermal Ecosystems in the South Aegean) aims to explore and characterize submarine hydrothermal systems in a previously inaccessible depth range between conventional scientific diving and larger deep-sea ROV operations. Using the innovative robotic platforms SPIRULA and the MaxROVer, the project will map hydrothermal vent structures, track hydrothermal plume dispersal, and collect targeted samples of vent fluids, sediments, rocks, gases, and microbial mats around Milos Island, Greece. The project will investigate how tectonic processes and volcanism control hydrothermal activity and how these processes influence geochemistry, mineral formation, and microbial ecosystem development.
The main objectives are to:
- Map and visualize shallow-to-intermediate depth hydrothermal vent systems at unprecedented spatial resolution.
- Characterize hydrothermal fluids, sediments, and associated mineral assemblages.
- Investigate microbial communities and their role in biogeochemical cycling.
- Compare shallow vent systems with the deeper, high-temperature White Sealhound vent field.
- Generate openly accessible environmental datasets and sample collections that will serve as a benchmark for future Mediterranean hydrothermal research.
Expected outputs include high-resolution seafloor maps and imagery, environmental monitoring datasets, geochemical and microbiological analyses, open-access data products, scientific publications, and outreach material highlighting the importance of hydrothermal ecosystems in the Mediterranean Sea.
MORE INFORMATION
AQUARIUS TA Project Name:
Robotic Exploration of Hydro-thermal Ecosystems in the South Aegean: Linking tectonics, volcanism, and life across the shallow-to-intermediate depth transition
Project acronym:
RHEA
TA Project Unique ID:
43
Partners involved:
• MARUM – University of Bremen
• National & Kapodistrian University of Athens
• Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution
• Constructor University Bremen gGmbH
• Hellenic Centre for Marine Research
Start date
01. March 2027
End date
30. April 2027 (10 days in spring or in the autumn 2027)
Mission Lighthouse Region
Mediterranean Sea
Work/research geographical
area
The RHEA project will be conducted in the South Aegean Sea, Greece, along the Hellenic Volcanic Arc, one of the most tectonically and volcanically active regions of the Mediterranean. Fieldwork will focus on the hydrothermal vent systems surrounding Milos Island (36°38’–36°46′ N; 24°21’–24°36′ E), including the vent areas of Aghia Kiriaki, Paleochori–Thiorychia, and Vani.
Names of RI facilities used
RV Aegaeo, Max Rover
Scientific discipline(s)
Earth Sciences & Environment: Ecosystems & Biodiversity
Principal Investigator
(PI) Affiliation
MARUM – University of Bremen