The staff of the Cetacean Sanctuary Research (CSR) Project

They are passionate about cetaceans and will all be happy to share their knowledge about wildlife conservation

The “Cetacean Sanctuary Research” team includes several skilled professionals with a principal field investigator, researchers, and research assistants taking turns on board “Pelagos” and other research vessels during the field season. One or two Tethys researchers plus several research assistants provide the necessary scientific and logistic services on board. They share their knowledge and experience with participants in a variety of ways, including teaching research techniques and giving lectures on cetaceans and marine biology. The researchers hold a degree in Biology or Natural Sciences, and have significant prior experience in cetacean research. Research assistants are usually University students doing their theses in collaboration with Tethys.

Project Management

Sabina Airoldi

Sabina Airoldi

Project manager / Science coordinator / Data Management

graduated in Natural Sciences, and started to carry out research on cetaceans in 1987. She has worked with the Mediterranean Fin Whale Program and has contributed to the founding

Caterina Lanfredi

Caterina Lanfredi

Vice project manager / Senior principal field investigator

Caterina Lanfredi is a marine ecologist, involved in the conservation of marine mammals primarily in the Mediterranean Sea, for around 20 years.

Arianna Azzellino

Arianna Azzellino

Senior science coordinator

Arianna Azzellino is an associate Professor of Environmental Impact Assessment, School of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Dept. of Civil and Environmental Engineering (DICA), Politecnico di Milano and a member of the board of the Tethys Research Institute.

Maddalena Jahoda

Maddalena Jahoda

Communications Manager, Senior Researcher

Maddalena Jahoda has been working with Tethys since the Institute’s establishment, being involved in both research and public awareness. She is currently the Institute’s communications/popular science manager and member of the Board.

Principal Field Investigators

Marina Costa

Marina Costa

holds a PhD in Marine Biology from the University of St Andrews (Scotland, UK), and two MSc in Biology and in Environmental Policy and Economy from the Università Statale di Milano (Italy).

Nino Pierantonio

Nino Pierantonio

Nino Pierantonio is associated researcher at the Tethys Research Institute where he serves as Senior Field Investigator for the Cetacean Sanctuary Research project and the Ionian Dolphin Project.

Valentina De Santis

Valentina De Santis

Valentina collaborates with the Tethys Research Institute within the framework of the CSR Project since May 2015, where she is in charge of data collection as a Principal Field Investigator, and data analysis.

Lorenzo Gordigiani

Lorenzo Gordigiani

He is a marine biologist interested in cultural evolution of cetaceans.

Field Investigators

Eva Carpinelli

Eva Carpinelli

From 2007 involved in Tethys projects. Founder and president of the ONG Nereide.

Sarah Brouder

Sarah Brouder

Sarah graduated in Zoology in 2020 from the University College Cork.

Arianna Fornaroli

Arianna Fornaroli

currently attending a MSc program in Biodiversity and Evolutionary Biology, is mainly involved in themes of biodiversity conservation and environmental protection.

Mario Gabualdi

Mario Gabualdi

holds a BSc in Biology from the University of Milan and is now attending the MSc in Marine Biology at the University of Groningen,

Laia Garrobé

Laia Garrobé

holds two BScs in Mathematics (University of Barcelona, 2019) and Physics (University of Barcelona, 2020).

Marianna Marangi

Marianna Marangi

is a researcher in Parasitology at the University of Foggia.

Lisa Picatto

Lisa Picatto

Class of 2021, Lisa Picatto has just obtained her Bachelor of Science (Honours) in Marine Biology at the University of Aberdeen, Scotland.

Livia Tolve

Livia Tolve

master graduated in Conservation and Evolution at Pisa University, in 2020,

Jessica Picozzi

Jessica Picozzi

With a master’s degree in evolutionary biology and a thesis on the bioacoustics of sperm whales in the Pelagos Sanctuary

Collaborators

Sara Alborghetti

Sara Alborghetti

obtained a Master Degree in Experimental and Applied Biology at the University of Pavia in 2018, with a thesis about sperm whale bioacoustics in the Mediterranean Sea,

Julia Gostischa

Julia Gostischa

holds a bachelor’s degree in Biological Sciences and a master’s degree in Marine Biology from the University of Pisa.

Gioele Passoni

Gioele Passoni

is a conservation ecologist interested in exploring the complex interactions between wildlife and human activities

Vittorio Fadda

Vittorio Fadda

has previously studied and worked on micromammals at the Milan Museum of Natural History and at CNR in Rome.

Federica Salandra

Federica Salandra

graduated in Biological Sciences at the University of Milan and is attending her MSc program in Marine Biology at the University of Pisa.

Alessia Scuderi

Alessia Scuderi

Alessia is a southern Italian marine biologist. She holds her bachelor degree at the University of Messina

Morgana Vighi

Morgana Vighi

PhD in Biodiversity from the University of Barcelona, Morgana holds a MSc in Marine Biology from the University of Pisa and a Specialty Master in Management and conservation of the marine and coastal environment from the University of Siena.

Veronica Zampieri

Veronica Zampieri

Veronica obtained her Bachelor’s degree in Biological Sciences at the University of Milan-Bicocca in 2019, with a semester spent in Bilbao at the University of the Basque Country through an Erasmus+ grant.

Other positions

Margherita Zanardelli

Margherita Zanardelli

Project founder and former manager

has been Tethys’ first graduate student (Natural Sciences), with a thesis on the acoustics of the striped and Risso’s dolphins.

Adriana Geraci

Adriana Geraci

Administrative secretary

graduated in Natural Sciences at the Pavia University with a dissertation on the feeding ecology of a group of cartilaginous fish in the Tyrrhenian Sea.

Skippers

Paolo Pinto

Paolo Pinto

Skipper of "Pelagos"

Originally from Naples, he moves to Florence where he studies history and philosophy.

Roberto Raineri

Roberto Raineri

Skipper of "Pelagos"

is the co-owner of the sailing school “Flash Vela d’Altura snc” and teacher of several sailing courses - from basics, to regattas, to open sea navigation.

Data Analysis

Sabina Airoldi
Arianna Azzellino
Caterina Lanfredi
Maddalena Jahoda
Margherita Zanardelli
Nino Pierantonio
Valentina de Santis
Marianna Maragi
Elisa Remonato
Eva Carpinelli
Lorenzo Gordigiani