Milan, 29^th January 2025 - For the second film in the ongoing collaboration between Prada and its storytelling partner National Geographic CreativeWorks, Benedict Cumberbatch travels to the Norwegian town of Bodø, to see the impact of humanity on the sonic underwater environment. Captured on film within the ocean of the Arctic Circle, whales and other oceanic mammals use a variety of sounds for communication and sensation. The song of whales in particular can cover vast distances — their haunting sounds have been studied to even flow across entire ocean basins.

Environmental advocate, actress, SEA BEYONDer and Goodwill Ambassador of the project Valentina Gottlieb speaks with Dr. Heike Vester, a biologist who specializes in social behavior and bio-acoustics of marine animals, to examine the impact of human activity on the rich acoustic environment of the ocean — the noise pollution of shipping, and seismic surveys in the search for natural oil and gas. It also details measures we can take to combat this disruption, and help maintain the delicate balance of marine life, sustaining species and their languages for future generations.

1% of the proceeds from the Prada Re-Nylon for SEA BEYOND Collection benefit SEA BEYOND, the educational program by Prada Group conducted in partnership with the Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission of UNESCO to raise awareness of sustainability and ocean preservation.

Discover more

Paris, February 14^th, 2025 - The Prada Group and UNESCO-IOC are pleased to announce today the schedule of the next SEA BEYOND events and activities that will take place throughout 2025.

SEA BEYOND Ocean Literacy Center in Venice

On April 3^rd, 2025, the inauguration of the SEA BEYOND Ocean Literacy Center will take place in Venice. The venue will be the first permanent center in Italy dedicated to ocean literacy, located on the island of San Servolo, a cultural, educational hub that is home to important institutions (Venice International University, NSAS Neuroscience School of Advanced Studies and CSC Immersive Arts Labs). Dedicated to an audience of all ages and with free access, the center will serve as a reference point for marine education. A variety of activities, such as multi-sensory educational paths, creative and scientific interactive workshops, lectures and panels, will be carried out in the center to learn more about the ocean and its crucial role for life on planet Earth.

SEA BEYOND @ UNOC3 in Nice

The Third United Nations Ocean Conference (UNOC3), co-hosted by the governments of France and Costa Rica, will take place in Nice, France, from June 9^th-13^rd, 2025. The aim of the conference is to support the implementation of SDG 14: Take further and urgent action “to conserve and sustainably use the oceans, seas and marine resources for sustainable development”. SEA BEYOND will have an active presence at UNOC3, with a series of ocean-related activities ranging from educational and scientific workshops to interactive content and panels at the Palais des Expositions, in the so-called "The Whale" area, where a pavilion dedicated to ocean literacy will be set up.

SEA BEYOND takes over Prada Rong Zhai in Shanghai

From October 10^th to 19^th, 2025, SEA BEYOND will take over Prada Rong Zhai, the historic residence located in the heart of Shanghai and restored by the Prada Group, through a multi-faceted program that will offer a wide range of community engagement activities such as educational workshops, panels and screenings to engage students of all ages, families and citizens in promoting ocean conservation and ocean literacy. The traveling and interactive UNESCO-IOC Ocean&Climate Village exhibit, along with a photo exhibit by Emmy-nominated environmental photographer and climate artist Enzo Barracco, will highlight the urgency of ocean conservation and environmental stewardship. This cultural program follows the success of the SEA BEYOND temporary exhibition in the Chinese coastal city of Qingdao in October 2023.

Milan, February 18^th, 2025 – In the third short film of the series created in collaboration with National Geographic and dedicated to Prada Re-Nylon, Sadie Sink travels to La Paz, Mexico, and the Pacific Ocean to discover the whale shark, a "gentle giant" that feeds on algae and plankton.

The episode further reinforces the goal of the docuseries to raise awareness about the importance of marine life and the need to protect it for future generations, helping viewers understand how this animal is a key element in the delicate underwater ecosystem.

With its unique diet, the whale shark helps regulate the levels of plant organisms and prevent uncontrolled growth, which would put the ecosystem in danger.

Giovanni Chimienti, marine biologist and SEA BEYONDer, together with Alberto García Baciero, whale shark expert, explain how these valuable allies of the ocean are threatened by overfishing, boat collisions, pollution, and unsustainable tourism.

Knowledge is an important tool for change. 1% of the proceeds from the Prada Re-Nylon for SEA BEYOND Collection benefit SEA BEYOND, contributing to the progress of ocean education on a global scale through a series of training initiatives for younger generations.

Milan, March 10^th, 2025 – In the final installation of the four-part film series created in collaboration with Prada and storytelling partner National Geographic CreativeWorks, Sadie Sink introduces us to the Great Kelp Highway of Northern and Central America: a stretch of subterranean forests of kelp that runs for thousands of miles along the pacific coasts of the Americas.

The richness and biodiversity of the wildlife of the Great Kelp Highway – edible fish, shellfish, marine mammals, birds and seaweed – sustained not only life within its waters, but through centuries of fishing, humankind as well.

The actress, alongside marine biologist, SEA BEYONDer and Goodwill Ambassador of the project Giovanni Chimienti and scientist Rodrigo Beas, witness first-hand how rising ocean temperatures, near-extinction of species, overfishing and global pollution have all affected the kelp forests – a delicate habitat, now endangered.

To counteract this threat, we have to understand it: Prada Group’s SEA BEYOND educational program, conducted in partnership with the Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission of UNESCO since 2019, uses knowledge as a vital catalyst for change, inspiring young generations to safeguard the ocean.

Milan, 21^st March 2025 – On the World Day for Glaciers, the Prada Group and the Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission of UNESCO (UNESCO-IOC) are delighted to announce their support, as part of SEA BEYOND, for “Follow the Ice – The memory of Glaciers”, a project by the Ca’ Foscari University Foundation to raise awareness of the importance of glaciers as a natural, landscape, cultural and scientific resource and carry out research activities at the same time.

The collaboration involves the development of teaching resources for the fourth cycle of the SEA BEYOND educational module, developed for secondary schools all over the world, starting next September. Many scientific themes will be addressed through written content, as well as interactive activities and live webinars with scientists on topics ranging from the life stages of glaciers to the journey of water from snow-covered mountains to the ocean, and the important role that ice plays in the conservation of climate information over time.

The educational aspect goes alongside the scientific one: the project foresees three research missions in representative, iconic areas of mountain glacial environments. The expeditions, coordinated by the Institute of Polar Sciences of the National Research Council of Italy (Cnr-Isp) and by the Department of Environmental Sciences, Informatics and Statistics of the Ca’ Foscari University of Venice, will include the Corbassière Glacier in the Grand Combin massif (European Alps), the Baltoro Glacier (Karakoram, Pakistan) and the Newtontoppen Glacier (Svalbard Islands, Norway), with the common goal of extracting deep ice cores. The samples will then be analyzed at the Ca’ Foscari and Cnr-Isp laboratories. One core for each site will be placed at the disposal of the Ice Memory Foundation, with the goal of conserving it in Antarctica to allow the scientific community of the future to study climate developments with the latest technologies.

Milan, Venice, 3^rd April 2025 – The Prada Group and the Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission of UNESCO (UNESCO-IOC) announce the opening of the SEA BEYOND Ocean Literacy Centre, the first and only Italian Centre dedicated entirely to ocean literacy.

The initiative forms part of the SEA BEYOND project, which has been working since 2019 to increase awareness among the younger generations of issues surrounding sustainability and ocean preservation. The Centre, co-designed by CRA-Carlo Ratti Associati and UNESCO-IOC, is located on the island of San Servolo, in the Venetian Lagoon. The choice of site is significant as the area is a unique example of a ‘transition ecosystem’ shaped by continuous interactions between land, sea and humankind.

The Centre’s activities – designed to foster dialogue and employing an accessible, inclusive and multi-sensory approach – have been developed for students of all ages, local communities, researchers, residents, and tourists from both Italy and overseas. These diverse audiences will be addressed in a similarly broad language that compares ideas and perspectives from different disciplines. The aim is to encourage visitors to think critically about their relationship with the ocean, and the lagoon, and to adopt positive behaviours in favour of a more sustainable future – transforming ocean knowledge into action.

The concept is structured around three rooms that guide visitors on a journey of scale, from the very largest to the smallest sizes, from the vast expanse of the ocean to the complex biodiversity of the microorganisms in the Venetian Lagoon, ending with a focus on the human scale, examining the power of action. The Centre is equipped with personalised video projections that teach visitors to see water as a resource and a living system, while the opportunity to interact directly with marine ecosystems and scientific practices provides a hands-on learning experience.

The SEA BEYOND Ocean Literacy Centre will be open on Tuesday and Friday from 10am to 12pm and from 3pm to 5pm.

Book here (Free admission)

Milan and Nice, 9^th June 2025 - Today, at the 2025 United Nations Ocean Conference, in Nice, Prada Group and UNESCO announced the launch of the SEA BEYOND – Multi-Partner Trust Fund for Connecting People and Ocean. Starting with a contribution of €2 million by PRADA, the SEA BEYOND Multi-Partner Trust Fund will mobilize financial resources from a variety of partners to restore the relationship between humankind and the ocean.

The agreement was signed at UNESCO pavilion - “Beyond Borders: Ocean Futures” - hosted at La Baleine, Nice's Palexpo, by Ms. Audrey Azoulay, UNESCO Director-General and Mr. Lorenzo Bertelli, Head of Corporate Social Responsibility of the Prada Group and Executive Director, Patron of the Ocean Decade Alliance.  

The Fund will be supported by a Scientific Committee, consisting of well-known representatives of the scientific community in different fields of ocean science and ocean literacy, that will provide expert advice on the most relevant themes to be included in the calls for projects funding proposals.

Mr. Lorenzo Bertelli, Head of Corporate Social Responsibility of the Prada Group and Executive Director, Patron of the Ocean Decade Alliance, declared: “The ultimate goal of the Fund is to reunite new partners who share SEA BEYOND values and mission, and together create an even larger movement for ocean preservation and education, building on what the Prada Group and UNESCO have achieved since 2019. Through the Fund, we aim not only to design impactful projects, but to scale them by embedding ocean literacy into global culture and policy. This is a long-term commitment - because every child empowered through ocean literacy brings us one step closer to a more sustainable and conscious future.”

Ms. Audrey Azoulay, UNESCO Director-General, commented: “We must protect the ocean and rethink our relationship with it - and this change starts in the classroom. Through SEA BEYOND, UNESCO and Prada are empowering a new generation to better understand and protect the ocean. This programme will fund youth-led initiatives on every continent, enhancing ocean education and culture.”

Milan, Nice, 13^th June 2025 – During the 2025 United Nations Ocean Conference (UNOC3) in Nice, SEA BEYOND announces its support for Coral Gardeners, a non-profit organization dedicated to restoring coral reefs. This collaboration will help Coral Gardeners in scaling their science-based reef restoration efforts in French Polynesia, Fiji, Thailand, and beyond, by empowering local communities with advanced technologies. The Coral Gardeners team collects fragments of climate-resilient corals from the wild and grows them in dedicated nurseries for over a year before replanting them in nearby degraded reefs.

Through their research and development center, CG Labs, their team of engineers and scientists have developed a suite of innovative data collection tools, including AI-powered image analysis, underwater cameras and a coral monitoring app; these gather crucial data on coral reef health – such as survivorship, coral coverage and marine biodiversity – to enhance reef conservation strategies.

Since its foundation in 2017, Coral Gardeners has already planted over 160,000 tropical corals, helping to turn damaged marine habitats into thriving ecosystems. The aim of this collaboration is to expand their impact and reach the target of more than 200,000 corals in nurseries and 50,000 new corals planted by the end of 2026.

The project will also enable the exploration of a potential new Coral Gardeners branch in the Mediterranean Sea, contributing to the goal of creating a global network. This ambitious initiative will include expeditions with marine biologist and Goodwill Ambassador of SEA BEYOND, Giovanni Chimienti, to conduct an assessment of the coralligenous status of the Mediterranean Sea.

As well as advancing coral science and restoration, SEA BEYOND and Coral Gardeners will also raise awareness to inspire the next generations of ocean custodians, providing teaching resources for the fourth cycle of the SEA BEYOND educational module developed for secondary schools all over the world, starting next September.

Lorenzo Bertelli, Prada Group Head of Corporate Social Responsibility, declared: “We are delighted to support Coral Gardeners and give our contribution to the ongoing crisis facing coral ecosystems worldwide, while at the same time raising awareness of the crucial role of corals and the urgent need to protect them. We hope to help future generations understand the importance of preserving these priceless treasures of the sea.”

Titouan Bernicot, Founder of Coral Gardeners, said: “Coral Gardeners’ mission is to revolutionize marine conservation, and we are thrilled to have the support of SEA BEYOND to help protect coral reefs through science and education. Together, we’re scaling restoration, empowering youth, and setting new standards for purposeful conservation.”

Discover more

Milan, Nice, 14^th June 2025 – June 14th saw the conclusion of the 2025 United Nations Ocean Conference, hosted by France and Costa Rica in Nice from June 9-13. SEA BEYOND played a leading role through a series of activities held on the final day of the Conference, June 13, at the UNESCO pavilion “Beyond Borders: Ocean Futures” inside La Baleine, the Conference area open to visitors and the media.

The morning opened with a panel introducing the project moderated by Naka Kondo, Editorial Manager of The Economist Impact. During the discussion Francesca Santoro, Senior Program Officer at UNESCO-IOC, Paola Carluccio, Project Assistant at UNESCO-IOC, and Luca Bussolino, Managing Partner and Head of Strategy and Innovation at CRA-Carlo Ratti Associati presented the first physical space of SEA BEYOND dedicated to education: the SEA BEYOND Ocean Literacy Centre in Venice, which opened its doors last April.

To follow, a new collaboration within the project was announced: the support for Coral Gardeners, a non-profit organization working to restore coral reefs. For the occasion Titouan Bernicot, the founder, spoke in conversation with marine biologist Giovanni Chimienti, with the moderation of Valentina Gottlieb, Environmental Advocate.

To conclude the morning, an in-depth discussion on the role of corals in unlocking the secrets of ocean biodiversity offered an opportunity to examine the importance of the topic from different perspectives, through a discussion in which Titouan Bernicot, Giovanni Chimienti and representatives from the Institute of Marine Sciences of the National Research Council of Italy (CNR-ISMAR) and Samsung Electronics took part.

The day continued with a series of interactive workshops led in the afternoon by the SEA BEYONDers, the project's Goodwill Ambassadors. During the first, focusing on corals and entitled “Marine Wonders: preserving Corals for the Future of the Ocean”, Titouan Bernicot and Giovanni Chimienti led participants through the discovery of the coral world, presenting the different types as well as suggesting actions for their protection, offering space for engagement and exchange. In the second “Behind the Scenes, Beyond Cameras”, Elisabetta Zavoli and Enzo Barracco shared their personal experience of how environmental photography can be a tool for change.

In addition, special attention was paid to the younger generations throughout the entire duration of the Conference, with dedicated workshops including the “Workshop for Young Marine Biologists” on board the sailing boat Cassiopea at the port of Beaulieu-sur-Mer, with marine biologist and SEA BEYONDer Carmelo Isgrò.

Milan, Shanghai, 11^th October 2025 – On October 11^th, Prada Rong Zhai –  the historic residence located in the heart of Shanghai – officially opened its doors for the first time to SEA BEYOND, with a multi-faceted program of educational activities for children and adults that promote a better understanding of the relationships between the ocean and human beings, and how each influences the other. The initiative welcomed 1600 people over the first two days.

In the Ballroom, visitors can learn about the vital role the ocean plays in regulating the planet’s climate at the Ocean&Climate Village – the travelling, immersive, interactive science exhibition developed by the Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission (IOC) of UNESCO – making its second stop in China after its debut in Qingdao in October 2023.

On the fourth floor, visitors are invited to reflect on the urgent realities of climate change through a selection of striking images by Emmy-nominated environmental photographer and climate artist Enzo Barracco. Captured during his expeditions to Antarctica, the Galapagos, Hawaii, and Alaska – with the Alaskan series unveiled here for the first time – the photographs showcase the beauty of some of the planet’s most extraordinary and threatened marine environments.

THEMATIC TALKS

"Ocean literacy and global collaboration”
A conversation among Francesca Santoro, IOC Senior Program Officer, Dr. Fangli Qiao Member of Academia Europaea, Deputy Director General of the First Institute of Oceanography, Ministry of Natural Resources, China, Director of UN Ocean Decade Collaborative Centre on Ocean-climate Nexus, and Philip Tinari, Director, UCCA Center for Contemporary Art, to highlight the global mission of ocean literacy and the importance of cross-sector collaborations, where art can play an important role, in order to build a more informed, engaged, and sustainable relationship with the ocean.

“Emotions, storytelling, and ocean protection”
SAKANA-KUN, renowned Japanese Ichthyologist, Professor and Artist, joined Titouan Bernicot, Founder of Coral Gardeners and SEA BEYOND Goodwill Ambassador in a dialogue moderated by podcaster Zhang Zhiqi to explore the emotional, narrative, and scientific dimensions of ocean conservation. The panel recounted how a childhood passion for the marine environment – fish for SAKANA-KUN, corals for Titouan Bernicot – sparked a lifelong commitment to ocean protection. This early fascination evolved into careers dedicated to protecting the sea: one through scientific outreach, the other through coral reef restoration. The conversation was also joined by actor Bai YuFan, who recounted his passion for the sea, which he developed despite growing up in an inland province. All of them emphasized the power of communication as a tool to engage and educate broad and diverse audiences through different platforms and tools.

“Photography’s role in climate awareness”
An intimate conversation between Enzo Barracco, Emmy nominated Environmental Photographer and Climate Artist, and Francesca Santoro, IOC Senior Program Officer, on the role of visual art in promoting ocean preservation and environmental responsibility. Focusing on the beauty of nature, the dialogue highlighted how art can bridge science and society, raising awareness and inspiring action for the planet.

EDUCATIONAL WORKSHOPS FOR KIDS

Young visitors were engaged in educational workshops that blended science, art, and ocean awareness through lively, hands-on experiences. During the opening days, children explored ocean pollution and its impact on marine life (“Ocean kaleidoscope: rescue the whale”), learned how sea level rise affects both marine and human ecosystems and discovered nature-based solutions (“Land and sea: mini-ecosystems”), and got to know the most iconic fish species in Chinese waters through live drawing and storytelling by SAKANA-KUN (“Secrets of the Sea: A Journey into the World of Fish”).

On 22^nd January 2026 – SEA BEYOND, the project by Prada Group conducted in partnership with the Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission (IOC) of UNESCO, renews its commitment to advancing ocean literacy and sustainability in 2026, announcing the launch of the fourth cycle of its educational module, designed for secondary schools worldwide, and a new edition of the “Kindergarten of the Lagoon”, created in Venice for preschool children. The fourth edition of the SEA BEYOND educational module, titled “Poles to Tropics: One Planet, One Future”, starting in February, will shine a spotlight on two ecosystems that are pivotal for the planet’s future: glaciers and coral reefs. In 2026, the “Kindergarten of the Lagoon” expands with a renewed program of outdoor activities. In parallel, a new collaboration takes shape with Accademia dei Bambini at Fondazione Prada. The partnership will enable co-design of workshops and learning paths hosted at the Fondazione’s spaces in Milan, offering engaging, multidisciplinary experiences that connect creativity, science and nature.

Milan, 18^th March 2026 - For 2026, the Prada Re-Nylon campaign features actors Benedict Cumberbatch and Letitia Wright in dialogue with the sea, core element of Prada Group’s SEA BEYOND project aimed at preserving the ocean through education.

Alongside the campaign images, Cumberbatch and Wright feature in a pair of documentary films by National Geographic CreativeWorks, collaborating with Prada as storytelling partner for the fourth year to explore the real-world impact of the SEA BEYOND initiative across the globe. The films’ locales span from Oahu, Hawai’i, to the Izu Peninsula and the city of Kamakura in Japan. These two documentaries form the focus for the Prada Re-Nylon campaign, Cumberbatch and Wright photographed in these environments, weaving together narratives of film and image. The ocean is placed at the heart of the campaign: in each image, it goes beyond a backdrop, becoming a protagonist in its own right, a constant presence to highlight the cause and effect of human action.

Benedict Cumberbatch stars in the first episode. Just two hours from Tokyo, the waters around Japan’s Izu Peninsula teem with marine life - shaped by powerful ocean currents and dramatic geology that create a uniquely rich and dynamic underwater environment.

For this first film, Cumberbatch meets with Elisabetta Zavoli, photojournalist, award-winning documentary photographer and SEA BEYONDer, Goodwill Ambassador of the project, to explore this site. Elisabetta had the opportunity to learn about the work of Sakana-kun, renowned Japanese ichthyologist, professor, and artist whose program is supported by SEA BEYOND. Each year, the Sakana-kun Exploration Team project helps elementary school children to fall in love with the ocean by engaging them in hands-on activities, workshops, and educational sessions designed to spark curiosity and inspire a deeper connection with marine life.

As of July 2023, 1% of the proceeds from the Prada Re-Nylon for SEA BEYOND Collection benefit SEA BEYOND, the project by Prada Group conducted in partnership with the Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission (IOC) of UNESCO. In line with the Group’s long-standing commitment to education and culture, SEA BEYOND has, over the years, raised awareness of sustainability and ocean literacy principles, educating young generations around the world.