International Conference on Offshore Freshened Groundwater
- 18 - 20 May 2026
- 09:00 - 17:00
- Villa Bighi, Kalkara, Malta
The Management Committee of the OFF-SOURCE COST Action (CA21112) is delighted to announce its final conference. This event is the main dissemination hub for our network, uniting leading researchers, industry professionals, policymakers, and early-career investigators to share the latest advancements in the study of Offshore Freshened Groundwater (OFG). Together, we will foster new collaborations, explore the culmination of four years of work, and chart the future for this promising unconventional water resource. We look forward to you joining us to shape the next chapter in OFG research and application.
Objectives
This conference seeks to:
- Disseminate of the key findings and outcomes of the OFF-SOURCE COST Action
- Connect a diverse community of scientists, engineers, water managers, and policymakers.
- Expand the OFG network by fostering collaboration between academic and non-academic partners.
- Define future research priorities and pathways for the sustainable use of OFG resources.
Themes
The scientific program is organized around four key themes reflecting the OFF-SOURCE Working Groups.
Mapping and Characterizing Global OFG Systems
Exploring the fundamental understanding of OFG through data compilation, literature synthesis, and database development. Contributions highlighting the extent, volume, and hydrogeological context of OFG bodies in Europe and beyond are welcome.
Innovative Methods and Technologies for OFG Exploration
Presenting cutting-edge tools for OFG detection and analysis, including geophysical surveys, geochemical methods, hydrogeological modelling, and integrated interpretation of multidisciplinary datasets.
From Resource to Reality: Utilization, Economics, and Feasibility
Bridging science and application by examining the technological, economic, and practical feasibility of OFG as a potable water source. Case studies, industry collaborations, and economic models are encouraged.
Sustainable Management and Governance of OFG Resources
Addressing environmental, legal, and policy challenges for long-term OFG sustainability. Topics include responsible abstraction, environmental impacts, and governance frameworks.
Presentations
Theme 1: Mapping and Characterizing Global OFG Systems
Michela Giustinani & Davide Gamboa
Mapping and Characterizing Global OFG Systems Thematic Overview
Aya Ihab
Holistic Spatial Decision-Support Approach for Offshore Freshened Groundwater Exploration
Robert van Geldern
From shore to sea: A hydrogeologist’s view on offshore freshened groundwater
Lorenzo Lipparini
Unconventional groundwater exploration in Sicily (Italy): an overview
Rebecca Robinson
IODP3-NSF Expedition 501: Offshore Freshened Groundwater in the New England Continental
Shelf
Davide Gamboa
Sedimentology of an OFG system in the New England continental shelf: insights on aquifer and confining unit characteristics from IODP3- NSF Expedition 501
Sophie ten Hietbring
Radiocarbon dating in OFG exploration: a case study from IODP3-NSF Expedition 501
Alizé Longeau
Dissolved noble gases as unique tracers of how and when OFG was emplaced: the New England continental shelf case study
Anner Paldor
Submarine faults strongly influence the hydrogeologic dynamics of offshore freshened groundwater reservoirs
Valentina Rossi
Freshened groundwaters offshore the Adriatic Sea: the role of Middle-Late Pleistocene climatic cycles
Cristina Corradin
Offshore freshened groundwater in the Northern Adriatic Basin: Evidence from integrated 3D modelling and hydrochemical data
Please contact us to access presentation
Kaja Šušmelj
Methodological approaches for understanding offshore freshened groundwater – case study from Izola, Slovenia
Please contact us to access presentation
Aaron Micallef
Characterisation of offshore freshened groundwater systems on the Ross Sea shelf
Francisco Jose Lobo
Evidences of OFG off a dynamic deltaic system, northern margin of the Alboran Sea, western Mediterranean
Iliyian Kotsev
An underexplored resource: offshore freshened groundwater potential of the northwestern black sea shelf
Theme 2: Innovative Methods and Technologies for OFG Exploration
Katrin Schwalenberg
Innovative Methods and Technologies for OFG Exploration
Please contact us to access presentation
Claudia Bertoni
Data-driven analytical workflows for offshore fresh groundwater detection from legacy well data
Marieke Paepen
Constraining Fresh Submarine Groundwater Discharge Using CPT and ERT: A Belgian case study
Marion Jegen
Integrated Geophysical OFG Exploration in Different Geological Environments
Laura Haffert
AI-quifer – Predicting offshore freshened groundwater (OFG) occurrences through the application of artificial intelligence
Lorenzo Lipparini
Regional Groundwater Thermal Modelling of the Gela Deep Aquifer in Southern Sicily (Italy)
Damiano Chiacchieri
Coastal Fresh Groundwater extending Deep Offshore Southern Sicily (Italy): Assessment of the Ragusa Aquifer via Petrophysical and 3D Hydrogeological Modelling
Theme 3: The Future of OFG: Sustainability, Governance, and Economic Feasibility
Ariel T. Thomas
The Future of OFG: Sustainability, Governance, and Economic Feasibility
Jarrid Tschaikovski
Feasible OFG Sites in Europe and a Data-Driven Workflow for Preliminary Volume Assessment
Samson Bellière
Advancing Sustainable Desalination in the Mediterranean
Hamid Abdallah Hamid
Beneath or Beyond the Sea: Cost and Risk Trade-offs between Offshore Groundwater (Zanzibar Channel) and Desalination (Sidi Ifni-Morocco).
Daniel Zamrsky
Extracting offshore freshened groundwater – potential impacts on marine ecosystems and coastal fresh groundwater
Edip Avşar
An Assessment of the Environmental Impacts of Offshore Freshened Groundwater Utilization
Eduardo Guedes Pereira
Lessons from the Oil and Gas Industry
Please contact us to access presentation
Andrea Zanella
Participatory Governance of Offshore Freshened Groundwater: a Benchmarking Framework for Sustainable Decision-Making
Emma Mazzotta
Governance of OFG Aquifers from Lenses of EU Regulatory Frameworks and Public International Law
Angeles Jimenez Garcia-Carriazo
Offshore Freshened Groundwater in the Area: Legal Uncertainty Between Resource Exploitation and Biodiversity Conservation
Margarita Nieves-Zarate
Regulatory and environmental obligations of coastal states within UNCLOS to exploit natural resources. How does it apply to OFG?
Renée Martin-Nagle
Buried Treasure: Governance of Seabed Resources
Suzzy Ochonu
Designing Legal Thresholds for Responsible OFG Abstraction: A Risk-Based Regulatory Model for Long-Term Sustainability
Amall Juma
Submerged but Unclaimed: A case study of UK OFG in relation to UNCLOS
Organizing committee
Ariel T. Thomas
Hiba Wazaz
Davide Gamboa
Sophie ten Hietbrink
Helena Helme
Scientific committee
Aaron Micallef
Anner Paldor
Valentina Rossi
Katrin Schwalenberg
Claudia Bertoni
Xavier Garcia