1 April ’26
Press Coverage
Iberian Orcas Project
Interview on Radio2 about Iberian Orcas Project
Paola and Margarita, speaking to Radio2 aboard the Lady Magellan.
Polarquest’s Paola Catapano and artist and scientist Margarita Cimadevila were interviewed live on Rai Radio2 Caterpillar, bringing the Iberian Orcas Project to an international audience.
On April 1, Paola Catapano was interviewed live on Caterpillar Rai Radio 2 together with artist and scientist Margarita Cimadevila, focusing on the upcoming activities of the Iberian Orcas Project.
During the broadcast, Catapano introduced the next steps of the initiative led by Polarquest, including a public event to be held on 29 April 2026 in Galicia. Organised in collaboration with ArsSciencia, the programme will bring together scientists, sailors, local authorities and the public to discuss the growing issue of interactions between killer whales and vessels.
The event will feature an exhibition on plastic pollution – from the Arctic to Galicia – combining photographs from Polarquest expeditions with artworks created from marine debris collected on Galician beaches. Talks, film screenings and an open debate will further explore the challenges facing ocean ecosystems and coastal communities.
The interview highlighted how these activities aim to foster dialogue, raise awareness and encourage cooperation among different stakeholders, while offering the public an opportunity to engage directly with both the science and cultural dimensions of ocean change.
More News & Events
UN Plastic Treaty INC-5.2 – Side Event
The Polarquest Association, in partnership with CERN’s project Edge spAIce, organises a side event of the UN Plastic Treaty INC-5.2 at CERN’s Ideasquare and online to show how citizen science, supported by novel AI techniques, can help combat global plastic pollution.
The fight against plastic bags in Africa
Andrea Micozzi, a master’s student in theoretical physics at Sapienza University and contributor to Treccani, writes from Tanzania about the continent’s leading role in the fight against plastic waste—and what it reveals about our own habits.
BioBlitz activity report
On May 23, 2025, three vessels of the newly formed Fleet4Science teamed up with the Department of Environmental and Earth Sciences of the University of Milano-Bicocca to take part in the Spot-The-Monk campaign—an effort to monitor the elusive Mediterranean monk seal through environmental DNA (eDNA) sampling. This collaborative operation brought together marine biologists, sailboat owners, young students, and passionate science communicators in a unique blend of research, adventure, and public engagement.
How Citizen Science can change wildlife conservation through eDNA monitoring
The Mediterranean monk seal, once widespread, is now critically endangered and mostly found in remote caves. A new study highlights how citizen science and eDNA monitoring—using the BioBlitz method—are helping conservationists track and protect this elusive species.
Polarquest joins the BioBlitz campaign to Spot the Mediterranean Monk Seal
Polarquest and its newly created Fleet4Science partners with the Environmental Science Department of Milano-Bicocca University to collect data for the BioBlitz campaign, created to monitor endangered monk seal populations through eDNA collection in the Mediterranean.
The Big Plastic Count: Join Polarquest to Monitor Plastic Pollution!
From March 31 to April 6, 2025, track your plastic use and help collect crucial data to combat pollution. Plastic waste is a global crisis—let’s take action together! Polarquest is participating to raise awareness about plastic’s impact, especially in polar regions.