Francesca works for the Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission (IOC) of UNESCO where she is in charge of ocean literacy and ocean science communication activities. She is responsible for the co-ordination of contributions of the IOC to research projects funded by the European Commission, such as Sea Change and ECOPOTENTIAL. Francesca holds a PhD in analysis and governance for sustainable development from the School for Advanced Studies in Venice (SSAV) with specialization in marine environmental sciences, marine governance, science education and communication. Francesca joined UNESCO in 2011.