GUE Project: The Lost Island

GUE’s research project The Lost Island seamlessly integrates scientific research and SCUBA practice to study the marine geology, geophysics, and biology of a volcanic island with an incredible history.

Ferdinandea, also known as ‘the island that does not exist’, was first sighted on July 7th, 1831, after a series of volcanic eruptions and earthquakes shook the coast of Sicily. The volcanic island rose sixty meters above sea level, was 300 meters wide, and had a perimeter of one kilometer. Thirteen days later the eruption ended, and with it the construction of Ferdinandea. Immediately thereafter the sea began to erode the newly developed land mass. Nineteen days following the cessation of volcanic activity the island appeared visibly lower. Eight days after that, it was reduced to a small hill of sand. By the end of October only a few feet of relief remained, and by December 8th, the island was reported as missing, though it still lay beneath the surface of the Sicily Channel. Today, the top of Ferdinandea lies approximately seven meters below the sea surface.

The submerged volcano slopes gently to form a plateau at a depth of about fifty meters. Beyond that a wall sinks into the abyss, forming a vertical wall about 300 meters in height. Surrounding waters are pristine, with rich flora and fauna and the occasional large pelagic fish, such as tuna and sharks. Visibility is good all year, often reaching forty meters. Water temperatures are typically mild, though surface water warms up to thirty degrees Celsius.

Ferdinandea is a beautiful and intact underwater scientific laboratory that can be used to collect data on and study the origin of the continents and the development of living beings. The Lab Volcano project will focus on marine geology and biology. The task of participating divers will be to support the scientific objectives of investigators who will set the research agenda. In turn divers will enjoy a unique opportunity to participate in marine research while spending time with other GUE members in the sun swept Mediterranean.

The project will run from May to June 2013 and will be divided in weekly increments with slots available for six divers per week. GUE divers of all levels are welcome to participate.
More info


See the list of available spots, and register for this project here: www.globalunderwaterexplorers.org/gue-projects