EDUCATIONAL MODULE

Carlo Barbante is a professor at Ca' Foscari University of Venice, founder and former director of the Institute of Polar Sciences of the National Research Council (CNR). He has been working for years on climate and environmental reconstructions and the development of innovative analytical methodologies in the environmental and biological fields. He has participated in numerous expeditions and sampling campaigns in polar areas and the Alps and is the coordinator of national and international research projects, as well as the author of over 330 publications in high-impact scientific journals. He has recently been awarded a prestigious Advanced Grant from the European Research Council for the study of anthropogenic impact on climate in pre-industrial times. He was a detached professor at the National Academy of Lincei from 2012 to 2014 and is an elected member and vice-president of the Academy of Sciences known as the XL and Secretary of the Science Class of the Veneto Institute of Sciences, Letters and Arts. He was recently awarded the 2024 Minister of Culture Prize by the Accademia dei Lincei. As a science communicator, he has recently published a book entitled “Written in Ice” which was a finalist for the “Mario Rigoni Stern” literary prize.

Enzo Barracco is an Emmy-nominated photographer and author of “The Noise of Ice: Antarctica”,  “Skin of Rock Galapagos” and “The Blue on Fire Hawaii” books, this one realized with the support of Prada Group and features a foreword by  Lorenzo Bertelli, Prada Group Head of Corporate Social Responsibility.  

Enzo Barracco’s works are in the permanent collection at LACMA Museum, Los Angeles, Mougins Museum, France and the Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York.

Enzo lives and works in London and New York. Following a career in fashion and luxury industries, his focus and inspiration shifted towards sustainability, with the aim of raising collective awareness through art. In recent years, he has built a network of global excellence around his projects, involving leading government organizations, cultural institutions, and philanthropic foundations worldwide.

His mission is to create a body of work that documents and visualizes climate change and the transformation our planet is facing right now, a transformation in which we are deeply involved and by which we are deeply affected. 

“I believe everyone has a duty to do something for our planet within their own capacity and skill. I do it through photography because photography doesn’t need translation.” (Enzo Barracco)

Titouan Bernicot is the founder and CEO of Coral Gardeners. He grew up in French Polynesia, in the middle of the Pacific Ocean, where his parents owned a pearl farm. In 2017, when he was only 18 years old, he created Coral Gardeners with a few island friends after witnessing the alarming degradation of his home reef where he grew up surfing and decided to act to protect his playground. In less than 7 years, Titouan developed the organization into a global team of over 60 members, from gardeners to scientists and engineers, working from all around the world, with field operations across French Polynesia, Fiji and Thailand, soon followed by more locations. Together with his team, Titouan has planted over 100,000 corals and raised awareness to millions, sparking  a global movement to revolutionize ocean conservation alongside renowned  partners including National Geographic, and ambassadors such as Jason Momoa and Cristina Mittermeier.

Valentina Gottlieb has been working in the Event Management sector for over fifteen years. In parallel, she works as a Creative Director and actress for TV and Media projects. As a public figure, Valentina is dedicated to responsible communication with the aim of spreading sustainable values and a love for nature. As a Goodwill Ambassador for SEA BEYOND — the project by Prada Group in partnership with the Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission of UNESCO — her role involves participating in initiatives related to ocean protection and sustainability and helping to spread awareness of the project's values and activities. She has played a leading role in some of Prada Group’s campaigns, diving to the seabed off the coast of Sardinia to document the replanting of Posidonia and into Norwegian waters to witness the impact of human activity on the Arctic ecosystem.

Carmelo Isgrò is a biologist, Founder and Director of the MuMa Milazzo Sea Museum. Member of the Technical Scientific Committee of the Fauna Museum of the University of Messina, he collaborates with various universities, research organisations and associations. He was awarded the title of ‘Cavaliere del Mare’ (‘Knight of the Sea’) by the National President of Marevivo Rosalba Giugni, an honour that in the past has also been awarded to Piero Angela. For years, he has been committed to the protection of the sea and the recovery of struggling or stranded cetaceans and turtles. In 2017 he single-handedly carried out the recovery of the skeleton of a 10-ton Sperm Whale, later renamed SISO, whose death was caused by an illegal drift net off the Aeolian Islands and was featured on the news due to the large amount of plastic found in its stomach. After having reconstructed the skeleton, Carmelo founded MuMa-Museo del Mare in Milazzo, located in the ancient Castle of Milazzo, inside a church dating from 1529 which was later transformed into a military bastion. He is involved in science dissemination and environmental education, from kindergartens to universities. 

With a degree in environmental science, since 2009 Zavoli has been a photojournalist and documentary photographer. Her love of the natural world led her to environmental journalism, covering issues related to the effects of climate change on coastal communities and the role that markets in the Global North play in  deforestation in emerging economies, mercury pollution and waste mismanagement. From 2012 to 2018, Zavoli lived in Jakarta, Indonesia, where she worked extensively on issues related to the oceans and coastal marine environments. Zavoli believes in the 'solution journalism' approach, discussing possible solutions to environmental issues, and employing the power of local stories to inspire a global audience. Her empathy, respect and openness in understanding the points of view of others have helped her to connect with and report on communities beyond her own. In her work, Zavoli focuses on translating her deep understanding of the complexity of ecosystems into a rich and layered visual narrative. In over 10 years of professional experience as a photographer and visual storyteller, Zavoli has produced and realised significant and widely published international projects that have contributed to raising awareness and understanding of complex topics and has had a positive impact on the local communities she covers. She has received numerous awards recognizing her journalistic endeavors, including from European Journalism Center (EJC) in 2016, Earth Journalism Network (EJN) in 2021 and National Geographic Society - Emergency Journalist Fund in 2021. In 2022 she became a National Geographic Explorer. She has won numerous international photography prizes, including the 68th Maggie Awards and the 78th POYi. In Italy, she is a regular contributor to Getty Images Editorial and The New York Times.