Argomenti di tesi proposti dal docente.
Temporal variability of the hidden biodiversity of the Gulf of Venice
The aim of the project thesis is to investigate the status and changes in hard-bottom species communities in the Gulf of Venice using annual cycles of deployment-retrieval of ARMS (Autonomous reef monitoring structures). ARMS units are passive monitoring systems originally developed during the Census of Marine Life [https://oceanservice.noaa.gov/facts/marine-census.html] project for the collection of marine fauna on and near the sea floor. Similarly to settlement plates, the ARMS units are stacks of plates that mimic the complex structure of the sea bottom. They are deployed on marine substrates and colonized by marine species, and after a period of time they are recovered by a team and taken apart to see who moved in.
The student will characterize the temporal variability of benthic communities growing on ARMS deployed in 2025 at the bottom floor of the Acqua Alta Oceanographic Tower (16-meter depth), gulf of Venice, using an integrative approach based on image analysis, visual inspection (morphological taxonomy), and molecular (COI barcoding). The findings of this thesis will serve as a baseline for long-term monitoring of benthic biodiversity changes in the North Adriatic.The student will use an integrative approach bases on image analysis, visual inspection (morphological taxonomy) and molecular (COI barcoding) methods to characterize the temporal variability of the benthic communities growing on ARMS deployed in 2025 at the bottom floor of the Acqua Alta Oceanographic Tower (16-meter depth), gulf of Venice. The results of this thesis will be used as baseline for a long-term monitoring of the changes of benthic biodiversity of the North Adriatic.
Since the thesis project is part of the Marine Biodiversity Observation Network ARMS-MBON (https://www.assembleplus.eu/research/ARMS-MBON ), the student will have the opportunity to attend international meetings, courses, and collaborations.
The research activity will be carried out at the Laboratory of Ecological and Environmental Genetics (Via Sant’Alberto, 163, Ravenna) and also includes sampling activities in Venice in July 2026.
AVAILABLE: from May 2026
CONCTACT: Prof.ssa Federica Costantini presso i Laboratori. Mail : federica.costantini@unibo.it [mailto:federica.costantini@unibo.it]
Temporal monitoring of non indigenous species on harbour and a touristic marina
The aim of the project thesis is to monitor the temporal changes in non-indigenous species along the Canale Candiano, Ravenna. Specifically, a three- months deployment of ARMS (Autonomous reef monitoring structures) will be performed in Ravenna harbour and a touristic marina. ARMS units are passive monitoring systems originally developed during the Census of Marine Life [https://oceanservice.noaa.gov/facts/marine-census.html] project for the collection of marine fauna on and near the sea floor. Similarly, to settlement plates, the ARMS units are stacks of plates that mimic the complex structure of the sea bottom. They are deployed on marine substrates and colonized by marine species, and after a period of time they are recovered by a team and taken apart to see who moved in.
The student will characterize the temporal variability of benthic communities growing on ARMS that will be deployed in April 2026 and retrieved in July 2026 using an integrative approach based on image analysis, visual inspection (morphological taxonomy), and molecular (COI barcoding). The data will be compared with data carried out in previous campaign to evaluate the changes in species richness and abundance of non-indigenous species.
Since the thesis project is part of the Marine Biodiversity Observation Network ARMS-MBON (https://www.assembleplus.eu/research/ARMS-MBON ), the student will have the opportunity to attend international meetings, courses, and collaborations.
The research activity will be carried out at the Laboratory of Ecological and Environmental Genetics (Via Sant’Alberto, 163, Ravenna) and also includes sampling activities in July 2025.
AVAILABLE: from March 2025
CONCTACT: Prof.ssa Federica Costantini presso i Laboratori. Mail : federica.costantini@unibo.it
