We will collect oral samples from the volunteers at the Mario Zucchelli Station at different time points, using safe and not harmfull kits. Samples will be analysed by shotgun metagenomic sequencing, considering only the microbial component.

During the IV Italian Antarctic expedition (1988/89), 1166 rocks have been sampled within the aim of the project "Petrology, geochemistry and metallogenesis of igneous and metamorphic basement" in northern Victoria Land. They include intrusive, subvolcanic, volcanic, metamorphic and sedimentary rocks. The investigated regions are within Cape Hallett SS 58-60/2, Coulman Island SS 58-60/6, Freyberg Mountains SS 58-60/1, Mount Melbourne SS 58-60/9, Mount Murchison SS 58-60/5, Reeves Névé SS 55-57/12, Relief Inlet SS 58-60/13 and Sequence Hills SS 55-57/8 USGS sheets.

During the XXX Italian Antarctic expedition (2014/15), 207 rocks have been sampled within the aim of the project "Neogene-Quaternary tectono-magmatic evolution of the Ross Sea region" in northern Victoria Land. They include intrusive, subvolcanic, volcanic, metamorphic and sedimentary rocks and sediments. The investigated regions are within Cape Adare SR 59-60/13*, Cape Hallett SS 58-60/2, Coulman Island SS 58-60/6, Ebbe Glacier SR 57-58/16, Freyberg Mountains SS 58-60/1, Mount Melbourne SS 58-60/9 and Mount Murchison SS 58-60/5 USGS sheets.

During the XX and XXI Italian Antarctic expeditions (2004/05, 2005/06), 605 rocks have been sampled within the aim of the project "Cenozoic magmatism in Victoria Land: a tracer of geodynamic processes and of global evolution of climate" in northern Victoria Land. They include intrusive, subvolcanic, volcanic, metamorphic and sedimentary rocks and sediments. The investigated regions are within Cape Adare SR 59-60/13*, Cape Hallett SS 58-60/2, Coulman Island SS 58-60/6, Freyberg Mountains SS 58-60/1, Mount Melbourne SS 58-60/9 and Mount Murchison SS 58-60/5 USGS sheets.

During the XXVI and XXVII Italian Antarctic expeditions (2010/11, 2011/12), 668 rocks have been sampled within the aim of the project "Geological continental markers of Cenozoic climate changes in Victoria Land, Antarctica" in northern Victoria Land. They include intrusive, subvolcanic, volcanic, metamorphic and sedimentary rocks. The investigated regions are within Cape Hallett SS 58-60/2, Coulman Island SS 58-60/6, Mount Joyce SS 55-57/16, Mount Melbourne SS 58-60/9, Mount Murchison SS 58-60/5 and Relief Inlet SS 58-60/13 USGS sheets.

During the XXXIV Italian Antarctic expedition (2018/19), 246 rocks have been sampled within the aim of the project "Early Paleozoic geodynamics of northern Victoria Land and implications for Gondwana reconstructions" in northern Victoria Land. They include intrusive, subvolcanic, volcanic, ultramafic and metamorphic rocks. The investigated regions are within Cape Hallett SS 58-60/2, Coulman Island SS 58-60/6, Freyberg Mountains SS 58-60/1, Mount Melbourne SS 58-60/9, Mount Murchison SS 58-60/5, Mount Soza SR 57-58/15, Ob' Bay SR 57-58/11 and Pomerantz Tableland SR 57-58/10 USGS sheets. Project: Early Paleozoic geodynamics of northern Victoria Land and implications for Gondwana reconstructions.

During the XI Italian Antarctic expedition (1995/96), 435 rocks have been sampled within the aim of the project "Geological, geomorphological and geophysical mapping of Victoria Land" in northern and southern Victoria Land. They include intrusive, subvolcanic, volcanic, metamorphic and sedimentary rocks and fossil woods. The investigated regions are within Cape Hallett SS 58-60/2, Convoy Range ST 57-60/1, Coulman Island SS 58-60/6, Mount Joyce SS 55-57/16, Mount Melbourne SS 58-60/9, Mount Murchison SS 58-60/5, Reeves Névé 55-57/12, Relief Inlet SS 58-60/13 and Sequence Hills SS 55-57/8 USGS sheets.

During the XVIII Italian Antarctic expedition (2002/03), 63 rocks have been sampled within the aim of the project "Geological mapping of Victoria Land" in northern and southern Victoria Land. They include intrusive, subvolcanic, volcanic, metamorphic and sedimentary rocks and sands. The investigated regions are within Convoy Range ST 57-60/1, Freyberg Mountains SS 58-60/1, Mount Joyce SS 55-57/16, Mount Melbourne SS 58-60/9, Reeves Névé SS 55-57/12 and Sequence Hills SS 55-57/8 USGS sheets.

During the II Italian Antarctic expedition (1986/87), 885 rocks have been sampled within the aim of the project "Earth Sciences. Structural geology" in northern Victoria Land. They include intrusive, subvolcanic, volcanic, metamorphic and sedimentary rocks. The Bowers Terrane is reached for the first time. The investigated regions are within Coulman Island SS 58-60/6, Mount Melbourne SS 58-60/9, Mount Murchison SS 58-60/5, Reeves Nevé SS 55-57/12, Relief Inlet SS 58-60/13 and Sequence Hills SS 55-57/8 USGS sheets.

SEDANO Project aim to understand the origin of the glacial depositional systems found offshore the Pacific margin of the Antarctic Peninsula. Four main glacial depositional systems have been identified. Geophysical surveys were carried out during these two projects The cores collected in this area characterise the sediment drifts as composed by fine-grained, poorly-sorted sediments, sourced from turbidity currents generated on the continental slope. To elucidate the role of dispersal and redistribution of sediments by bottom currents, three one-year long bottom current records in the area of the mound 7 were collected as well as nine CTD measurements collected in the same area . It is worthwhile noting the importance of this data set, constituting the first current measurements available in the Pacific margin of the Antarctic Peninsula. The aim of this work threefold: to infer which are the major large scale processes that govern bottom current regime, to understand the Bottom Boundary Layer (BBL) dynamics, and to assess the potential for resuspension induced by the measured currents.