The International Academy of Underwater Sciences and Techniques has been awarding the Golden Tridents, excellence awards recognizing underwater activities, since 1960. This week, it unveiled the names of the recipients of this award for the year 2021.This award annually recognizes excellence in the fields of sciences, techniques, and technologies for underwater and hyperbaric activities, as well as achievements in exploration, sports, artistic, and informative endeavours related to the underwater environment.
190 personalities from the underwater world have received this award over the past 61 years, including a handful of French figures such as Jacques Yves Cousteau, Albert Falco, Jacques Mayol, Daniel Mercier, and more recently Laurent Ballesta.
The recipients of the Golden Tridents (for individuals) and Academy Awards (for organizations) 2021 are:
Enric Ballesteros (Spain) – Biologist and scientific activities.
Romano Barluzzi (Italy) – Journalist, pedagogical, informative, artistic, and recreational activities.
– Nicolas Barraqué (France) – Photographer, pedagogical, informative, artistic, and recreational activities.
– Marzia Bo (Italy) – Biologist, scientific activities.
– Massimo Capulli (Italy) – Archaeologist, scientific activities.
– Michele Geraci (Italy) – Technician, technical, technological, hyperbaric activities.
– Alberto Luca Recchi (Italy) – Explorer / Writer, explorations and sports activities, pedagogical, informative, artistic, and recreational activities.
– Fabio Ruberti (Italy) – Pioneer of Technical Diving, technical, technological, hyperbaric activities.
– Piero Mescalchin (Italy) – Video-photoreporter, pedagogical, informative, artistic, and recreational activities.
– Drass Group (Italy) – Diving systems.
This year, a new Frenchman joins the great names who have received this distinction: Nicolas Barraqué. He is the inventor of a special technique for underwater panoramic photography, multiple award-winner in photography competitions, author and editor of books, publication director of the magazine Dive In!, organizer of festivals on the underwater world and active in promoting underwater activities.
The award ceremony was to be held in March 2021 during the Eudishow Festival in Bologna. Unfortunately, current health restrictions led to the cancellation of the event. Organizers are currently unable to plan a new date, and a postponement to 2022 is not excluded.