Alice Ferrari

Project #1: Molecular approach to stock structure boundaries: implications for fisheries management of round sardinella, Sardinella aurita (Valenciennes 1847), in the eastern Mediterranean Sea

 Thesis Project Aim: Small pelagic fisheries represent an important contribution to the wide field of social-economic resources, especially for those onshore countries deeply dependent on marine resources. This is the case of the Eastern Mediterranean Sea, where the support for the development of regionally-consistent fisheries management plans among countries has been planned since 2009 (FAO EastMed http://www.faoeastmed.org). Among the commercially interesting species, sardines from the genus Sardinella are one of the most important wild resources to local fisheries. Analysis of S. aurita at microsatellite loci will complement the existing ongoing international effort to delineate connectivity dynamics and barriers to dispersal.

Info: Giusy Catalano giusy.catalano2@unibo.it; Alice Ferrari alice.ferrari6@unibo.it

Project #2: Genetic population structure of the Mediterranean sea cucumber Holothuria tubulosa (Gmelin 1788)

Thesis Project Aim: Despite the low mobility of sea cucumbers, long-lived planktotrophic larvae and high dispersal have been hypothesised to contribute feeding the geneflow of Holothuria tubulosa around the Sardinia Island. To test this hypothesis, total genomic DNA will be extracted from the available samples collected in the sampling sites of Teulada, Oristano e Tortolì and employed to unravel the genetic population structure of the species, whose population trend is currently data deficient at a regional scale.

Info: Valentina Crobe valentina.crobe2@unibo.it; Alessia Cariani alessia.cariani@unibo.it

Project #3: Spatial and temporal analysis of the genetic diversity of three small delphinid species in the Italian waters using ancient DNA

Info: Martina Pasino martina.pasino2@unibo.it; Fausto Tinti fausto.tinti@unibo.it

Project #4: Spatial and temporal composition of stable isotopes isolated in Delphinus delphis L. from the Italian waters: technological development and preliminary analysis of trophic variation and habitat preferences

 Info: Martina Pasino martina.pasino2@unibo.it; Maria Vittoria Iacovelli maria.iacovelli2@unibo.it; Fausto Tinti fausto.tinti@unibo.it