Oceanography Malta Group at UM

02/09/2026

Read about the launch of the NUTEC Plastics Global Marine Monitoring Platform and much more in the latest edition of the EMODnet newsletter.

https://ec.europa.eu/newsroom/emodnet/newsletter-archives/78661

18/08/2026

Trying out our new toy.....our second ROV (Remotely-Operated Vehicle), courtesy of the REVIVE project (Interreg Italia-Malta 2021-2027 Programme).....photos courtesy of colleague David Montano.....thanks to colleague Prof. Adam Gauci and to all the staff at the University's Project Support Office for their kind assistance in procuring such a useful underwater monitoring asset....

17/08/2026

Feeling honoured...

Thanks to the Gibraltar Chronicle and to the Nautilus Project (especially Lewis and Melanie Stagnetto) for featuring our research at the Oceanography Malta Research Group (OMRG) of the Department of Geosciences (University of Malta) so prominently on The Rock (i.e. on Gibraltar)....a toast to many more such Malta-Gibraltar collaborations....

28/07/2026

Let's make waves at Science in the City 2026! 🌊

The Oceanography Malta Research Group is happy to once again take part in Science in the City, Malta's annual science festival.

Come and meet our team, discover the exciting world of marine science, and explore how our research is helping to better understand and protect our seas. We look forward to sharing our work with the community and inspiring the next generation of scientists.

Find all the event details and register here:
https://www.eventbrite.com/e/science-in-the-city-2026-street-festival-tickets-1993604028315?aff=oddtdtcreator

We can't wait to see you there!

Get ready to dive into the world of science at Science in the City 2026 - Street Festival, where discoveries and fun collide!

24/07/2026

We don’t just scratch the surface – we DIVE DEEPER!

Heatwaves are affecting the sea too and NOT just at the surface!
Whilst others stop at the surface, by using satellites to measure the sea temperature at the surface only, the Oceanography Malta Research Group (OMRG) within the Department of Geosciences of the Faculty of Science at the UM deploys instruments in the sea (NOT in space) at depths going down to 50m.

What is a marine heatwave?
A marine heatwave is a period in which the observed sea temperature exceeds a varying threshold defined by the 90th percentile of a long-term climatological baseline for at least five consecutive days.

What did we find so far??
1. That marine heatwaves are VERY REAL
2. That marine heatwaves don’t occur only in summer, but also in other seasons and
3. That marine heatwaves can be felt even at depths of 25-30m (and NOT just at the surface)

Our water temperature loggers are in the sea 24/7, all year round, measuring the water temperature every hour, in 4 different UNDISLOSED localities around the archipelago....

Our findings re being communicated to reputable bodies such as the International Commission for the Scientific Exploration of the Mediterranean Sea (CIESM)

Thanks to colleagues Prof. Adam Gauci, Ms. Laura Prieto Gomez and Ms. Audrey Zammit for their support in extracting such information....

Follow the OMRG on ocean.mt and through https://www.youtube.com/

21/07/2026

Just published! An insight into 4 years of hard work in citizen science through the Spot the Alien campaign.

We mapped the hotpots of alien species within Maltese waters as well as the profile of citizen scientists, besides providing useful insights to managers of citizen science campaigns from the useful lessons we learned ourselves!

Heartfelt thanks to all my co-pilots on this epic journey....i.e. Alessio, Laura, Adam, Audrey, David, Bruno, Mariolina....as well as to the University of Malta for supporting financially our publication, to the International Ocean Institute for supporting financially our campaign, to the Frontiers in Marine Science for publishing our work as well as to the hundreds of dedicated citizen scientists out there who took the time amd trouble of submitting such useful reports of marine non-indigenous species!!! You all deserve a massive hug guys!!!!

Full paper can be read here: https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/marine-science/articles/10.3389/fmars.2026.1878121/full

29/06/2026

The lionfish has landed in Maltese waters!

It’s been suspected for quite some time, with various reports being circulated of the lionfish being spotted and even caught within Maltese waters over the past few years, but, ALAS, with no photographic or video evidence (or the actual caught fish itself) to back up such claims……the species is equipped with highly venomous fin spines and it has become one of the most successful marine invaders worldwide, particularly following its rapid expansion in the western Atlantic.

Now, a Devil firefish (Pterois miles), one of the two known lionfish species, has been caught and PHOTOGRAPHED within Maltese waters, by James Mamo, whom we wholeheartedly thank, along with my co-authors on the project (Bruno, Mariolina, Alessio and Arnold) as well as the Annales journal for supporting our ongoing research…..

Spot the Alien Fish citizen science campaign…….campaigns.ocean.mt

Read the full paper through this link:https://zdjp.si/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/Annales-SHN-36-2026-1-Alan-DEIDUN-et-al._LOWRESS.pdf

26/06/2026

First dive of the season..for research purposes naturally....with MSc student Samuel Bauermeister ..Oceanography Malta Research Group....ocean.mt

23/06/2026

Habitat loss remains one of the main threats to biodiversity, but solutions can start with small actions 🌊❤️‍🩹

To counteract this impact along the coast of Palermo, out partners from IAS CNR installed artificial substrates to promote the recruitment of vermetid snails, which will then support the recolonization of degraded vermetid reefs.

During the installation, temperature sensors were also deployed to monitor environmental conditions, and photoquadrats were used to characterize the habitat.

This action is part of the REVIVE 🐚 project, where innovative restoration meets science to bring marine life back to degraded habitats 🫱🏻‍🫲🏼

Our research group, the Oceanography Malta Research Group, within the Department of Geosciences at the University of Malta, is a partner within the REVIVE project, financed through the 2021-2027 Interreg Italia-Malta Programme....



https://www.facebook.com/share/14hjDBvqHAG/

10/06/2026

Flying the University of Malta flag high at the latest SEA-EU Alliance governing week in Brest, Bretagne, hosted by the UBO, along the Atlantic coast of France....read all about our European University Alliance and its 9 member Universities through the following link: sea-eu.org