On February 13, 2026, at the Parco della Musica Ennio Morricone Auditorium in Rome, the REDRESS project organized a meeting for children to discover the deep-sea. The event was based on the novel “Operazione Abissi” written by Claudia Fachinetti (Il Battello a Vapore) and Roberto Danovaro, with informational sheets created by Giovanni Lanteri. Through images, characters, and games, numerous students explored the world of the deep ocean and discovered why what happens in the deep sea affects our life as well.
The protagonist of “Operazione Abissi” is Azzurra, a 12-year-old girl with a deep connection with the sea. She was surprised by the appearance of a melanocete, an enigmatic deep-sea fish whose presence so far from its natural habitat is a sign that something strange is happening in the oceans. Together with her new friend Estela, met on holiday in Tenerife, and with the expert guidance of her brother Enrico, a future marine biologist, Azzurra begins a journey into an incredible world of luminescent creatures and secrets hidden in the depths. Here the animals speak, but only to those who have the sensitivity to listen to them. To decipher the message coming from the depths of the sea and spread it as widely as possible, the two friends created Blue Star, a social media page designed to unite young people around the world in the fight to protect the seas. Between the coasts of Spain and Sicily, accompanied by their friends Jacques and Nereo, Azzurra, Enrico and Estela will understand that even young people can really make a difference.
During the event, Roberto Danovaro and Claudia Fachinetti introduced and guided the young participants on a journey through science, storytelling and imagination to learn to listen to the deep sea and take care of it. This type of initiative is essential to engage the public in the conservation of deep-sea environments, starting with younger generations, to inspire them to protect and restore biodiversity.
