About us

Our scientific Results

Meet our Team

whO we are

POLARQUEST is a non-profit association gathering sailors, scientists, and science communicators from all over the planet, united by a passion for the ocean and its preservation. The Association was created in 2017 to carry out Polarquest2018, an ambitious circumnavigation of the Svalbard archipelago on the tracks of a glorious scientific expedition of the past, the mission of Nobile’s Airship “Italia” to the North Pole (1928). We achieved all our scientific objectives by performing microplastic sampling, cosmic rays measurements, and 3-D mapping with drones. We shared results globally through live communication, engagement with citizens, documentary production, and exhaustive media coverage.

For the Ocean Decade, we are expanding our network and welcoming a fleet of like-minded science adventurers, and remain committed to sharing science while promoting sustainability, collaboration, and innovation.

Exploration & scientific Firsts

Nautical Miles Explored

oUR STORY

When circumnavigating the Svalbard archipelago during our Polarquest2018 expedition, we found plastic on every beach. Some of them had barely seen human feet, yet the footprints of our waste were conspicuous.

We sailed beyond the 82nd parallel North to sample microplastic in the Arctic. On the very edge of the polar ice shelf, we found in our Mantanet a piece of plastic visible to the naked eye. The worst surprise came once our samples were analyzed months later in the lab: of all the manta trawls from Iceland to Svalbard, the peak content of microplastic came from our Northernmost trawl: 82°07’ N.

Our Expeditions

Citizen Science

A recognized objective of the European Horizon 2020 programme

Complex, global challenges such as the loss of polar ice, pervasive pollution of the natural environment and global warming require a global scientific approach, global solutions and global engagement. The immense potential achievements science has to offer cannot thrive without the participation and collective intelligence of society. Moreover, the increasing involvement of citizens in climate activism has surely contributed to spreading public awareness and triggering media interest in ocean and climate science.

Our activities, starting with our flagship expedition Polarquest2018, are based on the involvement of volunteer “citizen scientists”, like-minded citizens with a passion for science, dissemination, and adventure, guided by our scientists and experts to gather new insights into some of the greatest enigmas of science.

From the Atacama desert to the Amazon rainforest, the team have covered the globe in their scientific explorations. Learn about these expeditions, carried out from 2006 to 2014 before the formal creation of the Polarquest Association.

“Interaction between citizens, scientists and policy makers is essential to enrich research and innovation, and reinforce trust of society in science.”

― 

Mariya Gabriel

Commissioner for Innovation, Research, Culture,
Education and Youth, Citizen Science and Citizen Engagement

meet the team

Our extended team includes professional science communicators, researchers, and sailors, with vast experience in organizing and managing research expeditions at sea, engaging scientists, citizens, and the youth in a variety of innovative research activities. We design and produce communication material, media content (including live streaming),  and outreach events to engage the public – along the route and beyond.

 

CORE TEAM

Paola Catapano

Paola Catapano

Skipper & Science Communicator

Paola is a multilingual science communicator based at CERN, Geneva, with a master’s in science journalism, and a vast experience in communicating science from remote areas of the planet, including the Arctic and Antarctica. She is also the President of the Polarquest Association and the owner and skipper of Lady Magellan (link).

Rosy Mondardini

Rosy Mondardini

Physicist and Citizen Science Guru

Rosy is a scientist and science communicator who fell in love with citizen science. She’s the Director of Research at Citizen Science Zurich, an academic center promoting and supporting citizen participation in research.

Katarina Anthony

Katarina Anthony

Science communicator

Katarina is a science communicator at the ATLAS Experiment at CERN, arctic journalist and website developer.

Gianluca Casagrande

Gianluca Casagrande

Scientific Coordinator & Drone Pilot

Gianluca is an Associate Professor and the Scientific Director of Geographic Research and Application Laboratory (European University of Rome).

Kevin Monneron

Kevin Monneron

Engineer and Diver

Kevin is an engineer, free diver and a scientific and technical support with a passion for adventure.

Mike Struik

Mike Struik

Technical Coordinator & Aerial photographer

Mike is an aeronautical engineer, adventure photographer, arctic reporter, and drone pilot.

YOUNG SCIENTISTS

Safiria Buono

Safiria Buono

Skipper - Safiria

Safiria performed the microplastic sampling during  Polarquest2018. She became an experienced sailor and now supports our activities with  expeditions on her own boat.

Valeria Catapano

Valeria Catapano

PhD student in Molecular Biology

Valeria is a PhD student in molecular biology at the University of Geneva. She has been doing e-DNA sampling in the Mediterranean sea, knows how to identify sea turtles with eDNA, and she analysed arctic micro-plastics samples.  Her passion for evolutionary biology was sparked by her participation in the MiniDarwin expedition at 11 years.

 

ELENA GAZZARRINI

ELENA GAZZARRINI

Physicists and Science communicator

Elena holds a Master in Physics from King’s College London and has worked in the CERN Information Technology department for 3 years as a software developer and later as a science communicator and content curator for science exhibitions. She is passionate about communicating scientific concepts in visual and interactive ways. Her passion for outdoor activities and for the sea has made her increasingly more interested in sailing and in the PolarQuest future research activities.
Jeanne Longlune

Jeanne Longlune

Physics Student

Jeanne has a master in Physics Engineering from Ecole Polytechnique de Brussels and started in parallel to my last year of this first master another master in the space track of Cold Climate engineering. Her research focuses on the use of machine learning to accelerate the computations of space debris

Elias Meier

Elias Meier

Student Environmental Sciences

Elias Meier is a student of Environmental Sciences with and is prone to outdoor-activities and affinity for eDNA. He will be helping with the eDNA and Methane-CO2 sampling.

Paul Pietzcker

Paul Pietzcker

Physics student and Skipper – Blob

Paul is studying physics while being a professional sailor in small boat (Olympic 49er), racing in the German national team until 2022. For his master thesis, he will try to combine scientific experiments with a sailing expedition.

SCIENTISTS & EXPERTS

Stefano Aliani

Stefano Aliani

Microplastic scientist

Stefano Aliani is the scientific leader of the Microplastic project, as well as a marine biologist, Microplastic international expert, and member of POLARNET.

Dominik Palgan

Dominik Palgan

Oceanography & Seafloor mapping expert

Dominik Palgan is a marine geologist & oceanographer from the University of Gdansk, specialist for seafloor mapping, operating Norbit multibeam sonar and analysing data.

Aleksandra Kruss

Aleksandra Kruss

Oceanographer

A Svalbard veteran working for NORBIT_SUBSEA and CNR ISMAR, Venice, Aleksandra is a an oceanographer and underwater acoustic expert.

DANIEL MCGINNIS

DANIEL MCGINNIS

Environmental Engineer, Head of the Aquatis Institute University of Geneva

ELENA VALSECCHI

ELENA VALSECCHI

Marine and environmental scientist, molecular ecologist

Peter Gallinelli

Peter Gallinelli

Nanuq Skipper

Naval architect and Genevan explorer Peter Gallinelli, skipper on the Polarquest2018 expedition

Andrea & Chicca Pestarini

Andrea & Chicca Pestarini

Skipper - Durlindana

Valentina Venturi

Valentina Venturi

Green Entrepreneur

Former CERN engineer and competitive sailor, Valentina is now a young innovative and green entrepreneur. 
She created the start up  Effetto Venturi, now a fully fledged  company, designing and producing sustainable and remotely controlled robotic buoys for regattas and marine research, with 0 impact on the seafloor
Giuseppe Suaria

Giuseppe Suaria

Senior Scientist

Giuseppe is a senior scientist at CNR-ISMAR in Lerici, Italy. He studies the spatial and temporal patterns of abundance, distribution, composition, transport and accumulation of plastic litter in the marine environment -harmonizing survey methods and sampling techniques for macro and microplastics in offshore marine ecosystems.

Ottavia Fusco Squitieri

Ottavia Fusco Squitieri

Actress, Singer, Sculptress

Ottavia is a recognized actress, singer, sculptress, and producer, with a passion for science. She develops shows and theatre plays to share the beauty of our planet and the need for a more sustainable lifestyle to preserve it.

Melanie Arnold

Melanie Arnold

Communication

With a background in translation, Melanie has always been passionate about bridging gaps—both linguistic and scientific—to make sure that people from different backgrounds can understand difficult scientific concepts. 

Micaela Tursi

Micaela Tursi

Communication

Micaela studied Literature, Philology, and AI. She discovered her passion for storytelling through media at the Audiovisual Production team at CERN. This led her to Polarquest: promoting the book Ottantesimo Parallelo sparked her fascination with exploration and sustainability.