My research program has the general goal to investigate and define
the evolutinary processes and environmental factors underlying the
biodiversity of marine animals as well as to develop
biotechnologies applied to marine fishery and ecosystem science.
My specific research topics are developed along the following
themes
- Micro-evolutionary processes and environmental factors related
to the genetic and demographic traits of relevant marine fishery
resources and endangered species by analysis of the genetic
structure of populations
- Evolution, systematics and biogeography of the Eastern
Atlantic-Mediterranean faunas of the family Rajidae
(Elasmobranchii) through variation analysis of morphological and
molecular traits
- Monitoring and conservation of the biodiversity of
Mediterranean elasmobranches by molecular barcoding within the
framework of the Barcoding of Life Project (FishBOL)
- Historical and spatial changes of the genetic diversity in
Mediterranean bluefin tuna by analyzing genetic polymorphism at
neutral and under-selection loci in historical and contemporaneous
populations, and relationships with the demographic features
- Assessing population structure and genetic diversity in
Mediterranean fishery resources (tunas, sole, hake) for traceability of
fish and fish products
- Development and use of innovative technologies for studying and monitoring species biodiversity of
marine ecosystems and of terrestrial microbiological communities
relevant for conservation and management of environmental and
cultural resources