Simone Montano

Simone Montano is an Associate Professor at the University of Milano-Bicocca, Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences (DISAT), and Deputy Director of the MaRHE Center in the Maldives. He holds the two courses in the international master's degree in Marine Sciences of the same University. He is a marine biologist mainly interested in the ecology and biology of the coral reef system. His current research activities are focusing on the coral health and diseases assessment of the Republic of Maldives. Furthermore, his researches are focusing on new emerging symbioses and in developing several mitigation tools for habitat restoration. All his activities are aimed to understand the dynamics that will drive this ecosystem under a climate change scenario in order to develop and propose environmental management plans. He is an Open Water Scuba Instructor and has completed over 1,000 scientific dives worldwide.

Breaking the Wall to Protect Monumental Corals: Simone Montano's 2025 Falling Walls Engage Finalist Project is Map the Giants.

Map the Giants is a global citizen science project to locate, study, and protect the world’s largest and oldest coral colonies. Through an open platform, divers, locals, and ocean lovers can submit coral data, which is displayed on an interactive map. These “giant coral ambassadors” help identify resilient corals, support scientific research, and raise global awareness by transforming them into marine monuments for conservation.