The AQUA-SHELF research project will carry out the first dedicated scientific drilling and hydrogeological validation campaigns for Offshore Freshened Groundwater (OFG) in a European continental shelf setting. In the northern Adriatic Sea, the project will combine offshore drilling, field measurements, and laboratory analyses to directly investigate how these subsurface systems are structured and how they function.
By integrating new field data with advanced modelling, AQUA-SHELF will provide a clearer and more reliable understanding of these groundwater systems, including their connectivity, behaviour, and environmental sensitivity. The project will also assess long-term sustainability and potential for responsible use, contributing to risk-informed decision-making and offering practical, science-based guidance for the management of coastal and offshore water resources. Its findings are expected to support future policy development by strengthening the scientific basis for how OFG resources are understood and governed.
Project coordinators:
Assoc. Prof. Sebastiano D’Amico, University of Malta
Prof. Aaron Micallef, University of Malta
Partners:
Dr. Michela Giustiniani, National Institute of Oceanography and Applied Geophysics
Prof. Luca Zini, University of Trieste
Diego Santaliana, Polo Tecnologico Alto Adriatico
Dr. Jasper Hoffman, Alfred Wegener Institute, Helmholtz Centre for Polar and Marine Research
Assoc. Prof. Robert van Geldern, Friedrich-Alexander-University Erlangen-Nuremberg
Prof. Dr. Matthias Bücker, Christian-Albrechts-Universität zu Kiel
Associated partners:
Dr. Christos Tsabaris, Hellenic Centre for Marine Research