Marco Vattano (Catania, 1973) has obtained M.Sc. and PhD in Geology at the University on Palermo, where he taught as a contracted Professor Environmental Geology, Environmental Cartography and Karst and Speleology.
Marco is also a caving instructor of more than 25 years of experience, he has explored caves in different rocks and in different geological settings around the world. He participated to exploration and documentation expedition in different countries as Italy, Spain, Russia, Slovenia, Mexico, Chile, Philippine, Iceland.
Marco has currently published more than 80 articles on geology, geomorphology and speleology, half of which in international peer reviewed scientific journals or conferences.
Marco has participated to ESA CAVE-X1 in 2017, to ESA CAVES 2019 dealing different assignments as well as Field Scientist, Team Supervisor and Astronaut Supervisor.
In 2020 Marco has served in the ESA PANGAEA 2020 Dry Run in Bletterbach as part of his employment as “Training Operations and Engineering Support” and as Science, Training and Logistic support in the 4 sessions (Bletterbach – ITA, Ries – GER, Lanzarote – ESP, Lofoten – NOR) of ESA PANGAEA 2021.
In 2011 he was an “Invited Speaker” at the 19th International Karstological School “Classical Karst”, Postojna (Slovenia). He has won awards for both research (2013 B.F. Beck Sinkhole Conference Student Scholarship Award, Carlsbad, New Mexico, USA) and for didactics (2019 “Teachers – My unusual lesson”, Sofia, Bulgaria).
