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I am a 40th-cycle PhD candidate working on the project Conservation Paleobiology of marine settings in the Mediterranean Sea. My research focuses on molluscan communities, exploring their responses to natural and anthropogenic environmental changes during the late Quaternary. I apply a trait-based approach to understand whether functional diversity has changed in response to environmental perturbations.
Furthermore, I explore how traditional fossil-based studies can be complemented by novel techniques. This includes the analysis of ancient DNA from shells and sediments to trace community and population turnovers and stable nitrogen isotope analysis of shell-bound organic matter to reconstruct changes in primary productivity over time.
My aim is to establish baselines of pristine ecosystem states to inform conservation efforts and assess the variability and resilience of marine communities, providing insights into their potential responses to present and future environmental challenges.
I am supervised by Prof. Daniele Scarponi, with co-supervision by Dr. Rafał Nawrot from the University of Vienna.
