May 5, 2026
Giuseppe Notarbartolo di Sciara (PhD, Scripps Institution of Oceanography, UC San Diego, 1985) is a marine conservation ecologist whose work over the past four decades has advanced knowledge of the ecology, behaviour, and taxonomy of marine mammals and sharks. Founder and honorary president of the Tethys Research Institute (1986), he has been a leading force in marine conservation in the Mediterranean and beyond. In 1991, he initiated the creation of the Pelagos Sanctuary for Mediterranean Marine Mammals, the world’s first high-seas marine protected area. From 1996 to 2003, he served as President of ICRAM, Italy’s governmental institute for marine conservation. He was Italy’s Commissioner to the International Whaling Commission (1999–2004), Deputy Chair of the IUCN Cetacean Specialist Group (1991–2022), Chair of the Scientific Committee of ACCOBAMS (2002–2010), and Councillor for aquatic mammals to the U.N. Convention on Migratory Species (2014–2022). In 2013, he co-founded and continues to co-chair the IUCN Marine Mammal Protected Areas Task Force, launching the Important Marine Mammal Area (IMMA) program. He also serves as senior advisor to the Important Shark and Ray Area (ISRA) initiative. From 2007 to 2016, he taught marine biodiversity conservation at the University Statale of Milan. He is the author of more than 260 scientific publications and 15 books, including Sailing Across a Wounded Sea (Springer Nature, 2024). More information is available at www.disciara.org.