TEAM
AND COLLABORATORS

MEET OUR TEAM

MICOL MONTAGNA

Project coordinator, trainer

Micol is a biologist with a specialization in biodiversity, biological evolution and animal behaviour. She is also a scuba diving lover and PADI Divemaster.

Her academic path brought her to experience various and peculiar fields: she moved her first steps studying wasps behaviour in Spain and afterward she worked on her Master’s thesis studying red deer distribution in the Apennines.

In 2012 Micol finally found her way in the marine field: she focused on cetaceans and mostly on marine turtles while assisting Ph.D. candidates in their research in Western Australia first and then in the Red Sea.

In 2015 she started collecting data on those amazing creatures in Southern Egypt and she joined TurtleWatch – Egypt: this was the beginning of a wonderful and unique adventure.
Micol now lives in Marsa Alam, Red Sea – Egypt, where she is always ready to go into the water to find new individual turtles.

ABDALLAH TAHER

Field coordinator/assistant, trainer

Abdallah, for friends “Abdu”, has been a diving instructor since 2004, he knows most of the dive sites along the Egyptian Red Sea coast and during his life has met probably more turtles and fish than humans.

He has always been extremely fascinated by marine creatures and his favourite hobby is to go diving and photograph them.
Abdu joined TurtleWatch – Egypt in 2015, giving a great contribution to the fieldwork thanks to his excellent skills in in-water activities and photography.

Abdu is also PADI diving instructor and he has created the Turtle Watch PADI Distinctive Specialty Course. During the course, approved by PADI, you will learn how to monitor marine turtles in the Red Sea and how to be part of our project.

AGNESE MANCINI

Founder and scientific coordinator, trainer

A turtle biologist and conservation scientist, Agnese started studying marine turtles in 2004 and has never stopped since, following turtles across oceans and continents.

In 2011, while working for the Hurghada Environmental Protection and Conservation Association (HEPCA), she started Turtlewatch Egypt and then found in Micol and Abdu some formidable collaborators. When she is not swimming after turtles, you can spot Agnese riding her blue bike across the streets of La Paz, Mexico, where she resides.

VALERIA ROMA

Assistant, trainer

Valeria holds a bachelor’s degree in Natural Science and a master’s degree in Biodiversity and Evolution. She has a deep passion for the animal kingdom, particularly the ecological and ethological aspects that distinguish different species.

For her bachelor’s thesis, Valeria conducted an analysis of data on turtle strandings along the Adriatic Sea’s Italian coasts.
She’s very interested in environmental disclosure and species conservation. Valeria joined TurtleWatch Egypt in 2023 and is currently living in Marsa Alam.

REBECCA MONTANARI

Assistant, trainer

Rebecca has been passionate about the ocean and biology for as long as she can remember. She started diving at 9, knowing even back then that her life would always be tied to the sea. She holds a bachelor’s degree in Environmental Sciences and a master’s degree in Marine Biology—there was no other path for her with her love for marine life.

For her bachelor’s thesis, Rebecca studied the Emilia-Romagna coastline as a potential nesting area for the loggerhead sea turtle (Caretta caretta), analyzing the factors that influence egg incubation. That project sparked an even greater passion for these fascinating animals.

Rebecca is also a certified Divemaster, and her next goal is to become a diving instructor. She is a cheerful person, always ready to dive into new challenges and learn more, especially when it comes to the sea and nature.

MAJA ZAMENCKA

Assistant, trainer

Maja is an oceanographer (marine biology specialization) with a true love for all animals. Her adventure with sea turtles started in 2015 when she volunteered at ARCHELON, the Sea Turtle Protection Society of Greece for the first time.

Since then, she had a chance to work with turtle monitoring and research projects as well as rehabilitating sick and injured individuals at Sea Turtle Rescue Center.

In her free time, she loves to stay in the water following her passions and developing her diving/freediving/kitesurfing/underwater photography skills.

Maja joined TurtleWatch Egypt in 2022 and is currently living in Marsa Alam.

Volunteer advisors

AHMED GHALLAB

Director of the Red Sea Protectorates, Advisor on Conservation Policy and Nesting Monitoring

Dr. Ahmed Ghallab has played a key role in the conservation of Red Sea sea turtles for over two decades, combining scientific expertise with environmental governance.

Since 2002, Dr. Ghallab has contributed to sea turtle monitoring and nesting assessments as part of the Red Sea Protectorates’ habitat monitoring program. For over 20 years, he has participated in annual surveys to monitor the status of nesting sites across the Red Sea.

In his leadership role as Director of the Red Sea Protectorates, he has supported citizen science initiatives such as TurtleWatch Egypt, promoted sustainable management, and helped establish regulations and codes of conduct to reduce the impact of recreational activities on turtle habitats.

Dr. Ghallab actively supports TurtleWatch Egypt and is a co-author of a scientific poster presented in collaboration with the team at the International Sea Turtle Symposium (ISTS) in March 2025. The poster focused on threats to sea turtles in the Red Sea and showcased collaborative efforts between government and civil society.

DANIELA FREGGI

Veterinary advisor

Daniela Freggi, founder of the Lampedusa Sea Turtle Rescue, is a lifelong advocate for sea turtle conservation, bringing over 35 years of hands-on experience in rescuing, rehabilitating and caring for injured sea turtles.

Her academic path began with a degree in Marine Biology from the University of Rome, followed by a Master’s in Conservation Medicine of Aquatic Animals from the Veterinary Department of the University of Padova. She is currently pursuing a PhD in Animal Health and Zoonosis at the Veterinary Department of the University of Bari. Daniela’s professional journey has taken her around the world, from Bolivia to the USA, France, and across Italy, working with a wide range of marine species including dolphins, penguins and of course sea turtles. As Director of both the Sea Turtle Rescue Center in Lampedusa and the Wildlife Rescue Center in Sicily, she oversees the rehabilitation of over 200 sea turtles and about 100 surgeries annually. Beyond clinical work, Daniela is deeply committed to community outreach and collaboration. She works closely with local fishers, volunteers and international partners to promote best practices in sea turtle rehabilitation. Since 2010, together with Mariluz Parga, she has co-organized and coordinated the Sea Turtle Rehabilitation and Medicine Workshops, held at ISTS symposia and Mediterranean Conferences. Daniela also acts as a consultant for international programs aimed at setting up new rescue centers and training courses in sea turtle rehabilitation around the world. Through her leadership at Associazione Caretta caretta – Lampedusa Turtle Rescue, she champions a vision of sea turtle rehabilitation that is inclusive, innovative and globally connected, bringing not only expertise, but also a heart full of compassion and a spirit that continues to inspire hundreds of volunteers.

MARCO HANNICH

Marketing & Communications Advisor

Marco works in electronic engineering and spends a lot of time in the office. To compensate, he loves diving – in German lakes, but especially in the Red Sea with his family.

During one of these dives, his daughter had an unforgettable experience: she spotted a sea turtle for the first time. This special event sparked Marco’s interest in these fascinating animals – and led him to TurtleWatch Egypt. He reported the sighting, whereupon it turned out to be the turtle “Cuccy”.
The family quickly decided that they wanted to adopt “Cuccy”. This was the first step – from a nature-loving diver with no previous knowledge to a committed supporter of TurtleWatch Egypt.
Today, Marco actively contributes his ideas, especially in the area of merchandising, and is in contact with other organizations in German-speaking countries in order to establish cooperations and make TurtleWatch Egypt better known. A great success: a free advertisement in the June 2025 issue of TAUCHEN magazine.

MARILUZ PARGA

Veterinary advisor

Mariluz Parga is co-founder and Senior Project Manager at the NGO SUBMON (www.submon.org). She is a veterinarian specialised in wildlife medicine and conservation.

After working with European wildlife, zoo animals and in exotic animal clinic for several years, she started her career with sea turtles at a rescue centre in Mediterranean Spain in 2003. In no time she was collaborating with fishers to investigate how to reduce the impact of bycatch on sea turtles. In 2006 she became the lead veterinarian for the “Eastern Pacific longline sea turtle bycatch reduction program”, working on board fishing vessels to assess post-release survival of incidentally captured sea turtles, and to define the best handling and release practices of sea turtles on board longline vessels along the region. Since then she has carried out dozens of training sessions with fishers, fishery observers and fishery managers in countries of America and Europe. If she is not working with fishers, you can find her in the North of Spain, trying to surf the waves of the Cantabric Sea.

Volunteer collaborators

ALTEA BELLANI

Website Developer

Altea first came into contact with TurtleWatch Egypt in 2015, the year she began scuba diving and became deeply fascinated by sea turtles.

From that moment, she felt a strong desire to actively contribute to the protection of these extraordinary animals and to support the initiative.

With the support and cooperation of the graphic design and communication studio Secchi & Moschino, where she works as a Web Designer, Altea created the TurtleWatch Egypt website and manages it together with her colleague Giulia Gerosa.

In doing so, she combines her passion for the sea with her professional experience, helping to raise the project’s visibility and promote awareness about sea turtle conservation.

DOREEN HOFMANN

Dive instructor and underwater photographer

Doreen is a passionate dive instructor with a deep fascination for the ocean’s inhabitants. While she loves all marine creatures, sea turtles hold a special place in her heart.

She combines her love for diving with her interest in underwater photography to document the marine world.

She actively contributes to Turtle Watch 2.0, where she lends a hand with our Photo-ID work and shares sightings of turtles from various dive sites. Doreen is also an advocate for marine conservation, spreading the word among divers, snorkelers, and guests about Turtle Watch’s important work and encouraging them to send in their own photos of turtle encounters.

She joined Turtle Watch 2.0 in January 2025 as a volunteer.

HODA AHMED RIAD

AI Developer

Hoda joined TurtleWatch Egypt on February 1, 2025, to lead the development of an AI system capable of accurately identifying individual sea turtles.

A computer engineering graduate, she grew up moving from Taba to Nuweiba before settling in Sharm El Sheikh, spending her childhood surrounded by the wonders of the Red Sea. This lifelong connection to the marine environment inspired her to merge cutting-edge technology with marine biology in support of conservation.
At TWE, Hoda focuses on designing and implementing innovative tech-based solutions to tackle key challenges in marine conservation—beginning with an AI-powered turtle ID recognition system that will enhance research, monitoring, and protection efforts.

LEA HANNICH

Youth Ambassador & Creative Support

Lea discovered her passion for sea turtles during a family diving holiday in Egypt, where she encountered her first turtle underwater.

Lea Hannich is 13 years old and attends a high school (Gymnasium) in Germany. During the summer holidays last year, she traveled to Egypt with her family to go diving and admire the coral reefs and colorful fish not found back home. While diving with her parents, she saw her very first turtle. Fascinated by the encounter, she later did some research about turtles with her father.

They discovered that sea turtles are endangered and that their numbers are declining, which motivated them to take action. That’s how they came across TurtleWatch Egypt and immediately decided to adopt a turtle named “Cuccy.” Since then, they have been encouraging others to adopt a turtle as well, in order to support conservation efforts.

To contribute even further, Lea also hand-makes turtle-themed keychains and necklaces, raising awareness and supporting the project in a creative and personal way.

MARIAM AMR TAWILA

Intern– Field Research, Education & Outreach

Mariam joined TurtleWatch Egypt in July 2024, supporting in-water turtle surveys, educational workshops for local children in the Red Sea, and helping with social media and outreach.

She also contributed to finding funding opportunities and building connections for the project. With a background in Marine Science,specializing in Marine Ecology and Biotechnology,Mariam is especially passionate about conservation, environmental education, and ecosystem management.

Having grown up in Sharm El Sheikh, the sea has always been close to her heart. While her studies gave her the knowledge, it was her experience with TurtleWatch that brought it to life. Being in the field, working closely with turtles, and learning from real conservation work gave her a level of experience she’s deeply grateful for. It helped her grow both personally and professionally, and played a meaningful role in shaping her path in marine science.

The rising number of injured turtles in her hometown continues to motivate her to take action and raise awareness for their protection.

RUUD VAN DEN BERG

Snorkelling specialist and underwater photographer

Ruud is a passionate snorkeller, freediver and turtle watcher. In 2017, he visited Hermes Bay for the first time and stayed there for several months.

By snorkelling every day in the house reef, the bay and adjacent reefs became familiar territory for him and his passion for the marine life in general and sea turtles in particular grew. He then also met Micol Montagna, project coordinator, who told him what a special and important site Hermes Bay is, with a large population of sea turtles. Since then, he has been visiting the site three times a year.

Ruud enjoys sharing his knowledge and experience with others to increase awareness of the project and further contributes to:

Photographing and monitoring known, new and injured sea turtles;
Co-organising workshops for snorkellers, divers and other interested parties;
Remote identification of the sea turtles for the database.

SARAH ABDELHAMID

Marine Biologist, Trainer

Sarah is a German marine biologist with a specialization in coral reef ecology, taxonomy, and marine conservation.

She holds a Master’s degree in Integrative Zoology from the University of Rostock and is a certified European Scientific Diver. Her academic background includes work at the German Oceanographic Museum and research at the Marine Science Center in Rostock, where she studied sensory biology of marine mammals.

Sarah began her journey in the Red Sea in 2015 with a Reef Check internship in Dahab, sparking her passion for coral reef monitoring and citizen science. Since then, she has continued her work along the Egyptian coast, publishing a study on coral reef change in Sudan over a 39-year period that appeared in MDPI Biodiversity and gained international media recognition in Germany and Austria.

Now based in Somabay, Sarah raises awareness as a marine biologist, certified Divemaster and Freediving Instructor. In 2024, she joined TurtleWatch Egypt to support marine turtle monitoring and public outreach. Sarah’s work blends scientific knowledge, hands-on conservation, and engaging education, always aiming to inspire others to connect with and protect the Red Sea’s unique ecosystems.

SOFIA PIROLA

Marine Biology Student, Photo-ID Contributor

Sofia has felt the strong call of the sea since she was a child — and only when she’s diving does she feel truly at home and at peace with the world.

She holds a Bachelor’s degree in Natural Sciences from the University of Milan and is about to begin her Master’s in Marine Biology at the University of Genoa. She first collaborated with TurtleWatch Egypt during her Bachelor’s thesis and continues to lend a hand by supporting the photo-identification work, helping recognize and track individual turtles through images shared by citizen scientists.

TOKA ELDAKAMAWY

Zoology Graduate, Marine Conservation & Education Support

Toka is a zoology graduate from the Faculty of Science, Helwan University, with a passion for wildlife ethology, which she plans to specialize in.

She joined TurtleWatch Egypt as part of her summer field training to fulfill her graduation requirements. During her time with the team, Toka participated in field surveys, supported the photo-identification process, and helped organize educational events.

After returning to Cairo, she continued contributing remotely by translating educational YouTube videos into Arabic, promoting TurtleWatch Egypt through outreach in Cairo, and leading an awareness session locally. She also co-authored an oral presentation for the 2025 ISTS (International Sea Turtle Symposium), further highlighting her commitment to marine conservation and science communication.

VALENTINA SCARPONI

Marine Biologist and Assistant Professor in Ecology and Animal Biology at the University of Sussex

Valentina is a Marine Biologist and Assistant Professor in Ecology and Animal Biology at the University of Sussex. She loves to work in conservation, building on her passion for marine biology, experience in research and education, expertise in geospatial and statistical analyses, and desire to see more of the ocean thriving and protected.

After learning about Turtle Watch Egypt in 2022 and starting a very productive collaboration, Valentina and the 3rd year and Master students at Sussex under her supervision have been using the citizen science data collected by TWE to answer key questions about their ecology and habitat use in the Red Sea.

VALENTINA SESIA

Illustrator, artist

Valentina is a visual communication specialist with a background in Art Direction.

After graduating from the Academy of Arts and New Technologies in Rome, she founded Arnica Design in 2012—her own creative studio named after the resilient alpine flower of her native Aosta Valley.
Her work spans logo design, corporate identity, web design, editorial graphics, and illustration. It’s through illustration that her collaboration with TurtleWatch Egypt began.
Driven by a deep sense of connection between humans and nature, Valentina’s art invites us to slow down and reconnect with the natural world.
From the Alps to the Red Sea, she now divides her time between Aosta and Marsa Alam.