Filippo Cavolini (1756-1810) was a renowned Neapolitan naturalist and a pioneer of modern marine biology. After graduating in law, he abandoned his legal career to devote himself to the study of marine organisms in the Gulf of Naples, distinguishing himself with a rigorous experimental method and the use of the microscope. His original research on polyps, corals, and fish earned him international fame and the chair of natural history at the University of Naples.