Maddalena Bearzi is President and co-founder of Ocean Conservation Society, Marina del Rey, California. She received a Ph.D. in Biology and a Postdoctoral fellowship at the University of California, Los Angeles. Maddalena has been actively involved in studying the ecology of marine mammals with a strong conservation bias since 1990. Her research work on dolphins, whales and pinnipeds off Southern California has been ongoing for over 25 years. She is co-author of the book Beautiful Minds: The Parallel Lives of Great Apes and Dolphins (Harvard University Press, 2008), author of Dolphin Confidential: Confessions of a Field Biologist (Chicago University Press, 2012) and Stranded: Finding Nature in Uncertain Time (Heyday, 2023). Her new children’s book for MacMillan is forthcoming. Maddalena has experience as photo journalist and television correspondent for Italian TV networks. Her scientific research and books have been covered, among others, by CNN, KPCC, PRI, Take Part Live, the Los Angeles Times, the New Scientist, American Scientist, and the Huffington Post. She has been a blogger for the National Geographic. Further information on her writing, research, conservation and outreach efforts can be found at oceanconservation.org or at her author page.