According to the scientists in the World of Science - The fire under the sea, no diving surveys had been carried out outside Stromboli since the powerful eruption in 2002, before they ventured into the depths.
Getting to the area where volcanic material fell into the water can be complicated because the volcano is still active.
- It is a critical area and things can fall into the water, says underwater photographer Roberto Rinaldi, who is part of the team.
Using underwater scooters, Roberto Rinaldi and four others descended to the area buried by lava and ash almost 20 years earlier.
There, they noticed that the ecosystem had recovered more quickly than it had on land, where the slopes are still black with lava and other debris from the 2002 eruption.
See the colorful ecosystem in the clip above.
The world of science - The fire under the sea 23/1 at 20:00 on SVT2 or whenever you want on SVT Play.