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On the Greek island Milos and in shallow water at its coast, many spots with hydrothermal activity have been found and studied in the past. The M192 cruise in August 2023 with the German research vessel METEOR followed the idea that these systems may continue along a transect from shallow, nearshore, photic to the deeper, offshore, aphotic zone around the island, accompanied by changes in terms of environmental parameters.

Volcanism along the Hellenic volcanic arc started during the Early to Middle Pliocene, while the last eruption occurred in 1950 (Nea Kammeni volcano). The intense seismic activity in the area is associated with important geothermal gas venting, with the major systems being found in relatively shallow waters (1–500m depth) at Methana, Milos, Santorini (Kolumbo submarine volcano), Kos and Nisyros.