Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/1542320
6 gozotoday | WEDNESDAY • 31 DECEMBER 2025 NEWS accompanied by a live band DCAPITALS BIG BAND DCAPITALS BIG BAND DIRECTOR | GEORGE APAP DIRECTOR | GEORGE APAP S U N 1 8 J A N U A R Y 2 0 2 6 1 7 . 0 0 H R S | T E A T R U A S T R A S U N 1 8 J A N U A R Y 2 0 2 6 1 7 . 0 0 H R S | T E A T R U A S T R A n Junior Junior a singers' festival Free Admission A team of Italian scientists will set sail at the end of December on a collaborative research ex- pedition to explore the remains of the ancient land bridge that once connected southeast Sici- ly to Malta and Gozo. The project, called BRIDG- ES, brings together leading re- searchers from OGS and CNR, as well as Maltese collaborator Dr Aaron Micallef, and is co- led by Dr Emanuele Lodolo (OGS) and Dr Maria Filomena Loreto (CNR). The expedition will take place aboard the Ital- ian research vessel R/V "Gaia Blu", owned by CNR, from 29 December 2025 to 7 January 2026. "This is a special opportuni- ty for both Italy and Malta," said Dr. Lodolo. "We have long known that during the last Ice Age, Malta was physically con- nected to Sicily. What we have lacked is a detailed reconstruc- tion of that landscape. Now, for the first time, we will be able to map it with unprecedented res- olution." During the last Ice Age, sea levels around the world were much lower than today. Large areas of the seafloor between Sicily and Malta were dry land, forming a natural corridor that animals, and possibly early hu- mans, could have used to move between the two regions. The BRIDGES expedition will survey this area using state- of-the-art mapping equipment on board R/V "Gaia Blu". The team will chart the shape of the seabed, identify ancient valleys and shorelines, and collect sed- iment samples that will help determine when these land- scapes were last exposed. Results from the expedition will be shared with the public and scientific community in 2026. Oceanographic expedition to explore ancient land bridge between Sicily and Malta The Italian research vessel R/V "Gaia Blu" (Photo: CNR)