MARUM Research Academy
Eirini Anagnostou
Goldschmidt Conference in Prague, Czech Republic from 6 - 11 July 2025
This year I had the opportunity to attend the Goldschmidt Conference 2025, held in Prague, Czech Republic, from 6–11 July 2025. The conference brought together more than 4,000 participants from around the world, covering a wide range of disciplines including marine geochemistry, hydrothermal processes, mineralogy, and biogeochemistry. Importantly, this was my first international conference during my PhD research, marking a significant milestone in my academic and professional development.
During the conference, I delivered an oral presentation in Session 09j-O1 - From Geosphere to Biosphere: Hydrothermal Transitions and Energy Supplies for Chemoautotrophy from Shallow Shores to Dark Depths. My talk, entitled "Hydrothermal Mercury Inputs from the Kolumbo Submarine Volcano ", presented new findings on mercury concentrations, speciation, and microbial methylation in plume waters and vent fluids of the Kolumbo volcanic system. These results advance the broader understanding of metal fluxes from submarine hydrothermal systems and their ecological impacts, with particular emphasis on how mercury cycling influences microbial processes and creates potential exposure pathways through marine food webs.
Presenting our research on hydrothermal mercury cycling at the Goldschmidt Conference
Group picture of MARUM colleagues participating at the conference
In addition to my own presentation, I contributed to two oral talks and two posters, reflecting the collaborative and interdisciplinary nature of my research:
- "Lipid biomarkers and their stable carbon isotopes in hydrothermal sediments as life markers of chemoautotrophy under extreme conditions " by Dr. Marcus Elvert (MARUM)
- "Sulfur as the link between geochemistry, mineralogy, and microbial life in submarine hydrothermal systems" by Doctoral Researcher Joely Maak (MARUM).
- "A Transitional Hydrothermal Vent Field on the Milos Shelf (Aegean Sea, Greece): Bimodal Distribution Influenced by Tectonics and Sea-Level Change " by my supervisor Dr. Solveig Bühring (MARUM)
- "First geochemical insights into newly discovered shallow hydrothermal vent fields near Milos, Greece " by Doctoral Researcher Eva-Maria Meckel (Constructor University).
Overall, attending Goldschmidt 2025 was an extremely rewarding experience, both scientifically and personally. As my first PhD conference, it marked an important step in presenting my work internationally, receiving valuable feedback, and becoming further integrated into the global geochemistry community. The Goldschmidt Conference 2025 provided exceptional opportunities for networking and scientific exchange. I had the chance to reconnect with previous colleagues as well as meet ongoing collaborators from different projects, strengthening existing partnerships and opening discussions for future research directions.
I would like to sincerely thank MARUM Research Academy for providing the financial support that enabled my participation in Goldschmidt 2025.
At the Goldschmidt conference with Prof. Desiree Roerdink (University of Bergen) and Doctoral Researcher Joely Maak (MARUM)
Group picture of colleagues from Constructor University participating at the conference