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. 

Zavoli拥有环境科学学位，自2009年起成为一名摄影记者兼纪实摄影师。对大自然的热爱促使她投身环境新闻工作，报道气候变化对沿海社群的影响，以及“全球北方 (Global North)”中的市场在新兴经济体森林砍伐、汞污染和废物管理不善中扮演的角色等。在2012至2018年间，Zavoli居住在印度尼西亚雅加达，在那里广泛从事海洋和近岸海洋环境相关的工作。Zavoli相信“解困新闻学”的力量，讨论环境问题的可能解决方案，并借地方故事之力启发全球受众。她在努力理解他人视角的过程中，表现出的同理心、尊重和坦诚态度，让她与自身所在以外的社群拉近距离并对其进行报道。在她的作品中，Zavoli侧重于把她对生态系统复杂性的深刻理解，转化为丰富而多层次的视觉叙事。
作为一名摄影师和视觉故事讲述者，Zavoli拥有十余年的深厚专业经验，制作并实现了多个重要并广泛传播的国际项目，这些项目有助于提高大众对复杂主题的认知和理解，并对她所报道的当地社群产生了积极影响。
她曾多次获奖，包括2016年欧洲新闻中心 (European Journalism Center, EJC)、2021年地球新闻网络 (Earth Journalism Network, EJN)以及2021年美国国家地理学会紧急记者基金会 (National Geographic Society - Emergency Journalist Fund) 颁发的荣誉，以表彰她的新闻工作成果。她在2022年成为了国家地理探险家。她曾多次获得国际摄影奖项，包括第68届Maggie奖和第78届全球年度图片奖 (Pictures of the Year International, POYi)。在意大利，她经常为Getty Images Editorial和《纽约时报》撰稿。