The exploration of Eastern Mediterranean deep hypersaline anoxic basins with MODUS: a significant example of technology spin-off from the GEOSTAR program

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.