Elsa Pataky and Chris Hemsworth join sea expedition

Spanish actress Elsa Pataky and her husband Chris Hemsworth have given a new Mediterranean deep-sea expedition a huge celebrity boost by joining a team of scientists on board a research trip off the coast of Malta.

The duo has joined the experts on the Oceana Ranger, which is moored up between the Maltese islands of Gozo and Comino, as part of an expedition to explore the waters in the area.

Pataky, who has been an ambassador for Oceana since 2012, says, "It's amazing how little the sea bed has been studied, even in the Mediterranean sea, which is so close to civilisation.

"Most people are unaware of the incredible marine life hundreds of meters below the surface of the water. One thing that shocked me whilst glimpsing the sea floor using the remote camera was the trash and impact of human activities in areas that should be protected.

"We must listen to scientists more and intensify our conservation efforts so we don't lose such valuable biodiversity before we even know about it."

Gozo has become quite the spot for celebrity couples in recent years - Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie celebrated their honeymoon there last year (14) while shooting new movie By The Sea.