Exploring Earth’s Largest and Least-Known Ecosystem: DEEP-FUN Deep-Sea Research Project Sets Sail from Italy

The deep ocean covers more than 65% of the planet's surface and is home to the largest reservoir of microbial biodiversity on Earth. In this environment, microorganisms are responsible for sustaining life by regulating the carbon, nitrogen and phosphorus cycles, despite the absence of light. However, a fundamental component of this system remains largely unknown: deep-sea fungi.

It is precisely from this starting point that DEEP-FUN - Deep-sea Microbial-Fungal Interactions and their role in global ecosystem functioning emerges. This pioneering research project is coordinated by Roberto Danovaro, a world-leading expert in marine ecology, and brings together the scientific expertise of Marche Polytechnic University and OGS (the National Institute of Oceanography and Applied Geophysics) in a close research collaboration.
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DEEP-FUN will run for five years, with its operational core centred on a transoceanic scientific expedition aboard the research vessel Laura Bassi. The vessel set sail from Civitavecchia on 16 October, bound for the Sicilian Channel, the first stop of the expedition.
The vessel will cover more than 26,000 nautical miles across the Pacific, Atlantic and Mediterranean, collecting samples at depths of between 3,000 and 5,000 metres. This transoceanic expedition is the first of its kind in Italy, and will enable 12 researchers to explore ocean regions that remain largely understudied.

The research aims to deepen our understanding of deep-sea ecosystems, support ocean conservation and develop new biotechnological applications, while strengthening Italy's international standing in oceanographic research. The project will employ state-of-the-art technologies, enabling experiments to be conducted under conditions that replicate those found in the deep ocean. Deep-sea coring and genomic analyses will complete an integrated approach that is unique on the international stage.
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The research campaign will take place during the two voyages undertaken by the Laura Bassi: first, on its journey from Italy to New Zealand and, subsequently, on its return voyage to Italy in 2027, following the completion of activities in Antarctica as part of the National Antarctic Research Programme (PNRA).