Until September 10, research vessel Rexdan – the most modern and advanced in Europe – is on a new intensive mission on a 33-km stretch of the Romanian sector of the Danube, as part of a measurement campaign aimed at improving and completing the data collected in the first field mission conducted in November 2024, the ‘Romanian Waters’ National Administration (ANAR) announced on Tuesday.

‘The main goal of the mission is to collect complex data for the calibration and validation of hydrological and sediment transport models, which are fundamental for a sustainable management of the Danube and its connection with the Black Sea. As part of the mission, the team carried out intensive sediment sampling between Turnu Magurele and Corabia, from areas such as active navigation channels, ports and ‘hot spots’ influenced by anthropic activities,’ the institution said on Facebook.

According to the cited source, the collected data will be analyzed for pollutants such as microplastics, heavy metals and various organic compounds, being essential for understanding the health of the Danube and for developing effective sediment management solutions.

The mission also includes bathymetric measurements, flow and current velocity profiles, but also topographic measurements and additional ADCP transects in the scale model area and near Calnovat Island, for the most accurate data calibration.

‘The results obtained will form the basis for the construction of a detailed bathymetry of the sector, which will be completed in early 2026, supporting the project’s objective of balancing ecological protection, navigation safety and economic activities on the Danube,’ ANAR said.

The EU-funded Sundanse project strives to foster sustainable management practices that restore the Danube’s ecological health and resilience. by mapping critical sedimentation points, developing predictive models for sediment transport, and pioneering portable equipment for real-time analysis of microplastics and toxicity.

The partners in the project are: ANAR, the Lower Danube University of Galati (project leader), the Lower Danube River Administration R.A., Marine Research and the University of Vienna.