Oceanographic expedition to explore the ancient Sicily/Malta land bridge
During the last Ice Age, Malta was physically connected to Sicily.
A team of Italian scientists will set sail at the end of December on a collaborative research expedition to explore the remains of the ancient land bridge that once connected southeast Sicily to Malta and Gozo.
The project, called BRIDGES, brings together leading researchers from OGS and CNR, as well as Maltese collaborator Aaron Micallef, and is co-led by Emanuele Lodolo (OGS) and Maria Filomena Loreto (CNR). The expedition will take place aboard the Italian research vessel R/V "Gaia Blu", owned by CNR, from 29 December 2025 to 7 January 2026.
“This is a special opportunity for both Italy and Malta,” said Dr Lodolo. “We have long known that during the last Ice Age, Malta was physically connected to Sicily. What we have lacked is a detailed reconstruction of that landscape. Now, for the first time, we will be able to map it with unprecedented resolution.”
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 humans, could have used to move between the two regions.
The land bridge between Sicily and Malta at the time of the Ice Age.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 sediment samples that will help determine when these landscapes were last exposed.
Results from the expedition will be shared with the public and scientific community in 2026.