site.btaResearch Vessel First Stops Near Ruse for Major Danube Study

The research vessel REXDAN, which will conduct a large-scale study of the configuration and dynamics of the Danube River from the Black Sea to Vienna, will dock near Ruse on July 15, said Silva Agopyan from the European Programmes, Projects and Public Relations Directorate at the Executive Agency for Exploration and Maintenance of the Danube River (EAEMDR), here on Monday. During its first stop in Ruse, the vessel will be open for visitors.

“This is the newest and most modern research vessel in Europe, delivered in August 2023. Onboard there are nine specialized laboratories, enabling detailed studies of the Danube River, from sample collection and storage systems to labs for radiometry, physico-chemical analysis, biodiversity monitoring, bathymetry, and IT technologies,” Agopyan explained.

The collected data will be made publicly available and will also be used to validate and demonstrate innovative equipment for on-site measurement of toxicity and microplastics.

The Danube study is funded by the SUNDANSE project under the Horizon Europe programme. EAEMDR in Ruse is also a partner in the project and organized the first measurement campaign in Bulgaria from April 22 to 24, 2025, covering the Golyam Brashlyan and Mishka islands area.

Agopyan noted that the survey involved three specialized vessels, equipped with modern riverbed scanning technology. The campaign covered an area of approximately 9,609,000 sq. meters, with 42 cross-sectional profiles and flow measurements conducted.

By the end of the month, REXDAN is scheduled to visit Belgrade, Budapest, Bratislava, and Vienna.

REXDAN is a floating research centre, which involves scientists from different countries researching human impact on the Danube ecosystems. Its owner is the Lower Danube University of Galati, Romania, which coordinates the SUNDANSE project.