THE AMERICAN exploration vessel Nautilus has arrived on the island as part of an expedition to explore the Eratosthenes seamount, off the island’s south-western coast.
On board the Nautilus, anchored off the coast of Paphos, is oceanographer Robert Ballard, and a team of geologists, marine biologists and oceanologists.
Ballard is known for the discoveries of the wrecks of RMS Titanic in 1985 and Nazi battleship Bismarck in 1989 but there are also other notable discoveries.
“I am very lucky, I have made many discoveries - 70 in total,” he said. “I am more known for the discovery of the Titanic but I don’t think this was my most important discovery.”
Ballard said his most important find were the hydrothermal vents on which microorganisms were created.
“We explore everything, we go where no one else has gone,” he said.
Mission chief Katherine Croff Bell said the scientists on board the Nautilus use three remotely operated vehicles - Hercules, Argus, and Echo - used to explore the seabed.
“We explored the Eratosthenes seamount (100 kilometres off the coast of Cyprus) two years ago and found fluid possibly containing methane, a kind of hydrocarbon, but currently we are not here for energy,” she said.
Nautilus will be in the area for two weeks and people can follow the trip on the internet.
After Cyprus, Nautilus will conduct mapping operations in the Southeast Aegean Sea near Bodrum, Turkey.