Science and Secrets of the Lagoon

Luca is a geologist who has been working for the last 15 years as a coastal oceanographer for the National Research Council of Italy, Institute of Marine Science, Venice. His research has been focused on many aspects of the management of the lagoon ecosystem, from the assessment of contamination in the water and sediments of the city canal network prior to dredging to the monitoring of the input of freshwater and contaminants from the tributaries of the drainage basin. More recently, with his staff of technicians, he has been involved in studies on the hydrodynamics and transport of sediments in the tidal channel and shallow water areas of the lagoon, as well as the monitoring of the environmental effects of the works for the protection of Venice and its lagoon from floods. In cooperation with European and American institutions he is also working on research focused on the determination of submarine groundwater input in lagoons and coastal areas.

Marco holds a Master’s degree in Environmental Sciences and is now completing his PhD at Ca’ Foscari University of Venice with a study on the effects of climate change on nutrients and primary production in the lagoon of Venice. His research also focuses on the predictive modeling of bioaccumulation of toxic chemicals in the organisms of the lagoon. Finally, he has been recently involved in the development of a method for finding a sustainable alternative to prevent large cruise ships from navigating the historical centre of Venice. His passion and commitment for environmental preservation and sustainability challenges has led him to study and conduct research in Iceland, Austria, China and the United States. In his free time, he enjoys traveling, learning languages, running, and skating. Born and raised in Venice, Marco is happy to share his knowledge and experience with everyone eager to learn more about the environmental status and challenges that one of the most beautiful and breathtaking cities in the world has to face.

Gian Marco is an Environmental Scientist graduated at Ca’ Foscari University of Venice. He is a PhD student working for the National Research Council of Italy, Institute of Marine Science, on the effects of ship wakes on the morphology of the Venice Lagoon. Since 2014 he has been investigating the hydrodynamics effect generated by marine traffic in sensitive environments. He expanded his research abroad studying the City Cat wakes in Brisbane River (Australia) and the fast ferries in Tallinn’s bay (Estonia). His strong interest for the environment is also shared in his side job as sailing instructor. Recently he is also working on micro-plastics deposition in marine environment and aerial photogrammetry to evaluate morphological changes and sediment resuspension. In his free time, he keeps himself connected to the subject of his research by surfing and windsurfing.