NATIONAL SCIENTIFIC QUALIFICATION
SECTOR: 05/C1-ECOLOGY
LEVEL: FULL PROFESSOR
VALIDITY: JANUARY 31, 2014 - JANUARY 31, 2026; SEPTEMBER 11, 2019 - SEPTEMBER 11, 2031
STEFANO GOFFREDO CV
FUNDING ID
Stefano Goffredo (SG)
(A) SCIENTIFIC BIOGRAPHY
His scientific profile has contributed to advancing marine biology toward more integrative and interdisciplinary approaches. Through extensive collaborations with leading researchers in physics, chemistry, computational science, stable isotope ecology, and photobiology, Stefano Goffredo has developed multidisciplinary methodologies that combine field observations with innovative laboratory tools.
His research has introduced original perspectives on coral growth and population data, population dynamics, reproductive biology, and conservation monitoring. Over the last fifteen years, he has progressively expanded his work toward coral biomineralization, with particular attention to how environmental parameters influence calcification processes, skeletal architecture, and organismal performance. More recently, his research has also focused on the evolution of symbiosis in corals, exploring how different forms of host–microorganism associations may have contributed to coral persistence, diversification, and adaptation through geological time.
His main scientific contributions include:
1. Reproductive biology of Mediterranean temperate corals. SG carried out pioneering studies on the sexual reproduction of temperate corals, providing the first detailed Mediterranean analyses since the nineteenth-century observations of Lacaze-Duthiers. His work revealed distinctive reproductive patterns and contributed to understanding the evolution of coral sexuality.
2. Population dynamics of solitary corals. SG introduced age-based population dynamics models for solitary corals from the Red Sea and the Mediterranean Sea, showing how age shapes coral demography, biometry, growth, and reproduction, with implications for the management of exploited coral populations.
3. Genetic differentiation in Mediterranean corals. SG investigated population structure and connectivity in gonochoric and hermaphroditic brooding corals, linking genetic differentiation to planula behavior and mating systems.
4. Microendolithic depth distribution. SG showed that light differences between open and shaded habitats influence microendolithic depth patterns, with important implications for bathymetric and paleobathymetric interpretations.
5. Environmental drivers of demography and calcification. SG investigated how environmental parameters influence demographic traits and calcification in Mediterranean temperate corals and other calcifying organisms, contributing to predictions of the effects of global warming on Mediterranean coral survival.
6. Citizen science for marine biodiversity monitoring. SG launched an innovative citizen-science approach to marine biodiversity monitoring, enabling the collection of large-scale datasets at low institutional cost while strengthening environmental education and applied conservation biology.
7. Coral biomineralization. SG showed how the intra-skeletal organic matrix and magnesium ions interact to regulate calcium carbonate crystal morphology, aggregation, and polymorphism, contributing to the understanding of biological and environmental controls on coral biomineralization.
8. Mineralogy of modern Mediterranean corals. SG investigated skeletal mineralogy in Mediterranean corals across their life cycle, linking mineral composition to species habitat, ecological strategies, and paleoclimatic interpretation. His work showed that, in addition to aragonite, coral skeletons may contain significant amounts of calcite related to coral age, with important implications for the reliability of paleoecological and paleoclimatic reconstructions.
9. Biomineralization under natural pH gradients. SG investigated how biological control over mineralization influences species responses along a natural pH gradient. His work showed that increasing pCO₂ did not alter the mineralogy of a scleractinian coral and a mollusk, although their abundance declined markedly. In contrast, calcifying algae modified their mineralization, shifting from aragonite to less soluble calcium sulfates and whewellite, and showed weaker or no abundance declines. These results suggest that species responses to decreasing pH are linked to the degree of biological control over biomineralization.
10. Skeletal mechanical properties in temperate corals. SG investigated how skeletal mechanical properties vary with position along the polyp body axis, age, population, and environmental conditions in zooxanthellate and non-zooxanthellate corals. Using nanoindentation, which he applied in detail to scleractinian corals, his work showed a reduction in Young’s modulus toward the oral pole, the youngest part of the skeleton. In zooxanthellate species, southern populations showed reduced Young’s modulus, consistent with lower skeletal bulk density and higher porosity under warmer sea-surface temperatures. These results highlight potential consequences of projected seawater warming for coral skeletal performance.
11. Coral acclimatization along a natural CO₂-driven pH gradient. SG investigated the acclimatization potential of stony corals living along a Meditanean CO₂ vent system, used as a natural long-term experimental setting. His work showed that, under low-pH conditions, corals may maintain constant linear extension by increasing skeletal macroporosity, despite reduced skeletal mineralization. Although nanoscale skeletal features were not altered, increased porosity, reduced bulk density, and lower stiffness may decrease population density and increase susceptibility to damage. These results suggest that linear extension rate alone is not a reliable metric for assessing coral health and resilience in a warming and acidifying ocean.
12. Photosynthetic efficiency under warming scenarios. SG investigated the photosynthetic efficiency of corals exposed in aquaria to temperatures projected for the end of the century. His work showed that coral photosynthesis progressively declined with increasing temperature, supporting previous hypotheses based on coral growth and demographic studies and confirming the potential threat of seawater warming to zooxanthellate corals.
13. Population structure of mesophotic coral reefs. SG surveyed coral abundance and size-frequency distributions at mesophotic sites, showing that population structure is depth-dependent. His work revealed that colonies at mesophotic depths have smaller mean surface areas than shallow-water colonies, suggesting depth-related constraints on growth and maximum colony size. Despite this, higher colony density at mesophotic sites resulted in comparable contributions to overall coral cover, indicating that these reefs support established coral populations.
14. Combined effects of ocean warming and acidification. SG investigated the field responses of Mediterranean corals transplanted along a natural CO₂-driven pH gradient during different seasonal periods. His work showed a synergistic negative effect of high temperature and decreasing pH on coral mortality, likely mediated by increased metabolic stress and reduced cellular performance. Calcification responses differed between symbiotic and asymbiotic species: net calcification in the symbiotic coral was not affected by decreasing pH, whereas asymbiotic species showed reduced calcification under increasing acidification and temperature. These results suggest that symbiotic corals may be more tolerant than asymbiotic corals to acidifying conditions.
15. Cytoprotective mechanisms and coral stress resilience. SG assessed the contribution of evolutionarily conserved cytoprotective mechanisms to the physiological plasticity of Mediterranean corals with different growth forms and trophic strategies. His work showed higher hsp70 levels and stronger heat-stress induction in zooxanthellate than in azooxanthellate species, as well as distinct transcriptional responses between colonial and solitary zooxanthellate corals. These results suggest that trophic strategy and morphology contribute to shaping coral resilience to environmental stress.
16. Net calcification in Adriatic bivalves. SG investigated net calcification rates in Chamelea gallina along a latitudinal gradient in the Adriatic Sea, relating shell size and maturity to environmental parameters. His work showed that calcification increased with solar radiation, sea-surface temperature, and salinity, and decreased with higher chlorophyll concentration. In immature, more porous shells, enhanced calcification was mainly associated with increased bulk density, whereas in mature shells it was driven by higher linear extension rates. These results suggest that Po River influence on northern Adriatic environmental conditions, particularly salinity and chlorophyll concentration, may negatively affect calcification in C. gallina.
17. Coral demography and reproduction under natural acidification. SG investigated the demography and reproduction of the solitary, symbiotic, temperate coral Balanophyllia europaea living naturally along a pH gradient at a Mediterranean CO₂ vent. His work showed that gametogenesis and larval production were not affected by low pH, whereas recruitment efficiency collapsed under low and variable pH conditions, contributing to coral abundance decline. These results suggest that life stages between larval release and early polyp growth are particularly vulnerable to acidification and that investigating these processes is crucial for assessing coral persistence under future ocean acidification scenarios.
18. Stable isotopes and biological control of coral skeleton formation. SG assessed skeletal δ¹⁸O and δ¹³C values in Mediterranean zooxanthellate and non-zooxanthellate corals along a latitudinal gradient on the western Italian coast. His work showed that zooxanthellate corals occupy a narrower and more isotopically depleted range than non-zooxanthellate corals, suggesting that photosynthetic activity constrains skeletal isotopic composition away from isotopic equilibrium. These results indicate that skeletal aragonite precipitation in temperate corals is controlled by biological kinetic processes rather than by thermodynamic equilibrium, limiting their use for seawater temperature reconstructions.
19. Calcifying-fluid chemistry under natural acidification. SG investigated calcifying-fluid pH and carbonate chemistry in a Mediterranean coral growing naturally along a CO₂-driven pH gradient. His work showed that calcifying-fluid pH, derived from skeletal boron isotopes, remained elevated above seawater values and homogeneous along the gradient, while carbonate ion concentration and gross calcification rate were also maintained despite decreasing seawater pH. These results suggest that the ability of scleractinian corals to up-regulate calcifying-fluid pH may help sustain gross calcification under acidified conditions, but may not be sufficient to prevent increased skeletal porosity and declines in net calcification under ocean acidification scenarios.
20. Coral microbiome under natural acidification. SG compared the microbiome of the temperate, shallow-water, azooxanthellate colonial coral Astroides calycularis living near a volcanic CO₂ vent at Ischia Island with that of colonies from non-acidified sites on the same island. His work showed that, among the different anatomical compartments, the mucus-associated microbiome differed most strongly between control and acidified sites, suggesting a potential increase in bacterial nitrogen fixation and recycling in colonies exposed to naturally acidified conditions.
21. PAH accumulation in coral compartments. SG quantified polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) in different compartments of the Mediterranean coral Balanophyllia europaea. His work showed that PAHs were most concentrated in the zooxanthellae, followed by coral tissue, with the lowest concentrations found in the skeleton. These results provide a basis for assessing the role of this widespread Mediterranean coral in PAH sequestration from the marine environment.
22. Environmental education and tourist awareness. SG assessed the effectiveness of informal education projects in improving tourists’ environmental knowledge, attitudes, and awareness. These activities had a significantly positive impact and generated high levels of participant satisfaction, showing that informal education can serve as a catalyst for environmental awareness and pro-environmental behavior among tourists.
23. Trophic adjustment of coral–dinoflagellate mutualism under acidification. SG investigated autotrophy–heterotrophy shifts in the Mediterranean zooxanthellate coral Balanophyllia europaea living under low-pH/high-pCO₂ conditions at a natural CO₂ vent off Panarea Island. His work showed that acidified conditions were associated with higher dinoflagellate endosymbiont densities, changes in the distribution of Philozoon balanophyllum haplotypes, increased symbiont C/N ratios, and convergent δ¹³C values between symbionts and host tissues, suggesting a stronger autotrophic contribution under increasing acidification. Host tissue δ¹⁵N values also suggested diazotrophic N₂ fixation within coral tissue or mucus. These results indicate that this coral–dinoflagellate mutualism can acclimatize to acidified conditions through trophic adjustment and symbiont-associated changes.
24. Coral tissue regeneration under warming and acidification. SG investigated, for the first time in the field, the combined effects of seawater acidification and warming on tissue regeneration rates in Mediterranean scleractinian corals with different trophic strategies and growth forms. Coral specimens were transplanted across seasons along a natural CO₂-driven pH gradient at Panarea Island, where volcanic emissions create localized acidified conditions at ambient temperature. His work showed that increasing temperature and acidification may have compounding effects on coral regeneration after injury, potentially reducing coral recovery capacity under future climate-change scenarios.
Taken together, these contributions place SG’s work at the interface of invertebrate biology, coral ecology, biomineralization, conservation monitoring, environmental education, climate-change biology, and marine physiology. He also founded the Marine Science Group (www.marinesciencegroup.org) at the University of Bologna in 1998, while pursuing his PhD, with private-sector support.
The Marine Science Group has grown into an active research team whose scientific development has been shaped by close interaction between SG and his students. SG has supervised or co-supervised 164 BSc and MSc theses, including 84 BSc theses and 80 MSc theses, as well as 18 PhD theses.
Together with Zvy Dubinsky (Bar-Ilan University) and Giuseppe Falini (University of Bologna), SG conceived CoralWarm, a European Research Council (ERC)-funded project (FP7 IDEAS, grant agreement no. 249930; www.CoralWarm.eu; total grant amount: €3,332,032.00).
His research has resulted in 112 articles published in peer-reviewed indexed journals. As of July 9, 2026, SG’s Scopus metrics are 3,109 total citations and an h-index of 33.
SG has secured public and private funding from national and international sources.
(B) CURRICULUM VITAE
Stefano Goffredo (SG; born in Bologna on January 27, 1969) received a Master’s degree in Biological Sciences, cum laude, from the University of Bologna (UNIBO) in 1995, with a thesis entitled “Growth of Ctenactis echinata (Pallas, 1766) and Fungia fungites (Linnaeus, 1758) (Scleractinia, Fungiidae) on a coral reef at Sharm el Sheikh, Red Sea, South Sinai, Egypt” under the supervision of Professor Francesco Zaccanti. In 1996–1997, he served in the Italian civil service. In 2000, he completed a PhD in Animal Biology at UNIBO with a thesis entitled “Population dynamics and reproductive biology of the solitary coral Balanophyllia europaea (Anthozoa, Scleractinia) in the Northern Tyrrhenian Sea,” under the supervision of Professor Francesco Zaccanti.
After completing his PhD, SG worked at the University of Bologna (UNIBO) as a postdoctoral fellow and contract researcher. His research focused on the population dynamics and reproductive biology of temperate and tropical corals, their relationships with environmental parameters, and new approaches to biodiversity monitoring through the development of citizen-science programs.
At UNIBO, he was appointed non-tenure-track Assistant Professor on June 28, 2010, and tenure-track Assistant Professor on June 28, 2013. On June 28, 2016, he was appointed Associate Professor.
He is currently consolidating his research program on the biology and autecology of marine invertebrates, biometry, population-dynamics modeling, and marine biodiversity monitoring, while also developing research lines on biomineralization processes, crystallography, the mineralogy of biominerals in calcifying organisms, and the evolution of symbiosis in corals. His laboratory regularly hosts international scholars.
At the University of Bologna, SG teaches “Demographic Modeling” to PhD students in the program “Innovative Technologies and Sustainable Use of Mediterranean Sea Fishery and Biological Resources” (FishMed-PhD). He also teaches “Scientific Diving,” “Relationships between Biodiversity and the Environment,” and “Climate Change Impacts on Coastal Society and Marine Ecosystems” to master’s students in Biodiversity and Evolution and in Science and Management of Nature, curriculum in Global Change Ecology and Sustainable Development Goals. He teaches “Ecology” to bachelor’s students in Biological Sciences.
As a guest lecturer, in 2008 and 2009 SG taught “Population Dynamics Modeling” within the U.S. National Science Foundation International Research Experiences for Students program, organized through Auburn University and held at the Marine Science Station in Aqaba, Jordan. In the 2017/2018 academic year, he taught “Sustainability: Environment, Energy and Global Challenges” at the Collegio Superiore, the School of Excellence of Alma Mater Studiorum – University of Bologna.
SG is strongly committed to student mentorship and has inspired many bachelor’s and master’s students to pursue careers in marine science and marine conservation. He has supervised or co-supervised 164 theses, including 108 as supervisor (65 BSc and 43 MSc theses) and 56 as co-supervisor (19 BSc and 37 MSc theses). Several of his former students have continued their academic careers as PhD students, postdoctoral researchers, and assistant professors. He is currently supervising 2 postdoctoral researchers, 3 PhD students, 9 MSc students, and 9 BSc students within the Marine Science Group (www.marinesciencegroup.org).
SG spent several periods of study and research abroad. In 1996, he worked at the Interuniversity Institute for Marine Sciences in Eilat, Israel, hosted by Professor Nanette Elisabeth Chadwick-Furman, where he studied the abundance, distribution, and population dynamics of corals in the northern Red Sea. In January 2005, he served as chief scientist of the Tsunami Interministerial Task Force of the Government of the Republic of Maldives, which organized the first expedition to Maldivian coral reefs after the 2004 tsunami. In 2005, he worked at the State University of New York at Buffalo, USA, hosted by Professor Howard R. Lasker, where he developed models of Caribbean coral biometry and growth. In collaboration with Professor Mary Alice Coffroth, he also analyzed the population genetic structure and biogeography of both algal symbionts and coral hosts in symbiotic corals. Invited by Professor Lasker to the University of Miami, he took part in several research cruises aboard the R/V F. G. Walton Smith between 2005 and 2007. During these cruises, he conducted extensive scientific diving fieldwork to collect data on the growth, demography, and reproductive activity of Caribbean corals, and contributed to the development of a sustainable management model for coral fisheries in the Bahamas.
Collaborations with Professor Giuseppe Falini of the Department of Chemistry at the University of Bologna, focused on biomineralization, and with Professor Zvy Dubinsky of the Faculty of Life Sciences at Bar-Ilan University, Israel, focused on coral ecophysiology, led to the FP7 IDEAS ERC project CoralWarm, devoted to corals and global warming. Zvy Dubinsky, Giuseppe Falini, and Stefano Goffredo served as scientific coordinators of the project (www.CoralWarm.eu). SG was responsible for all CoralWarm activities conducted in Italian waters, including complex underwater surveys and long-term field experiments.
SG’s current research activities mainly focus on the effects of environmental parameters, including irradiance, seawater temperature, and pH, on coral reproductive biology, demography, and growth. His work addresses coral ecophysiology, biomineralization and crystallography in corals and other calcifying organisms, coral holobiont microbiology, and the evolution of corals and their symbioses. These research lines are developed through collaborations with Giuseppe Falini, Department of Chemistry, University of Bologna, and Frédéric Marin, Biogeosciences Research Unit, Université Bourgogne Europe, France, for biomineralization studies; Luca Pasquini and Paola Fantazzini, Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of Bologna, for skeletal mechanical properties and porosity; Aldo Shemesh, Weizmann Institute of Science, Israel, and Jonathan Erez, Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Israel, for isotopic and trace-element analyses; Marco Candela, Department of Pharmacy and Biotechnology, University of Bologna, for microbiome studies; and Jarosław Stolarski, Institute of Paleobiology, Polish Academy of Sciences, Poland, for the evolution of corals and their symbioses.
SG’s research activities are supported by a broad range of experimental facilities and techniques. His team uses fully equipped laboratories for histology, molecular biology, and electron microscopy, including SEM and TEM. He is also responsible for an advanced image-analysis and cytometry unit. His laboratory is equipped with two state-of-the-art underwater multiparameter sensors for field measurements of pH, photosynthetically active radiation (PAR), dissolved oxygen, conductivity, salinity, and temperature. He has also established a fully equipped scientific diving center, including modern diving equipment, a tank-refilling unit, and a 6 m-deep swimming pool for diver training (www.SDSeducational.org). Through collaborations with Giuseppe Falini, SG’s team has access to state-of-the-art powder and single-crystal diffractometers, scanning electron microscopy, scanning probe microscopy, FTIR and Raman spectroscopy, and inorganic laboratory facilities for in vitro crystallization experiments. Through Frédéric Marin, the team has access to proteomics laboratories and facilities supporting biomineralization studies. Through Luca Pasquini, the team has access to nanoindentation facilities; through Paola Fantazzini, to nuclear magnetic resonance and porous-media laboratories; and through Aldo Shemesh and Jonathan Erez, to advanced facilities for stable isotope and trace-element analyses. Through Jarosław Stolarski, SG’s team has access to major fossil collections, natural field sites for fossil sampling, and specialized laboratories for testing diagenesis and conducting fossil-specific isotopic and geochemical analyses. At Bar-Ilan University, SG’s collaborations provide access to high-tech computerized metabolic chambers, respirometers, photoacoustic facilities, and state-of-the-art facilities for marine molecular ecology.
Other academic, scientific, and professional experience:
November 2010 – October 2015, Member of the Academic Board of the PhD Program in Biodiversity and Evolution, University of Bologna;
September 2014 – September 2016, Coordinator of the European Space Agency (ESA) Topical Team project "SpaceBioMat: Space Bioreactor for Marine Mineralization Material Research"; conceived by Zvy Dubinsky, Giuseppe Falini, Jaap Kaandorp, and SG;
May 2015 – June 2016, Representative of assistant professors on the Board of the Department of Biological, Geological, and Environmental Sciences;
November 2017 – October 2018, Member of the Academic Board of the PhD Program in Earth, Life, and Environmental Sciences,University of Bologna;
October 2016 – December 2019, Scientific Director of the Laboratory of Marine Biology and Fisheries at Fano, University of Bologna, Department of Biological, Geological, and Environmental Sciences (https://site.unibo.it/laboratorio-biologia-marina-pesca-fano/en);
2017-2025, Coordinator of the citizen science project on biodiversity monitoring in the Mediterranean Sea "Sea Sentinels - Divers United for the Environment" (www.DUEproject.org);
November 2018 – October 2024, Coordinator of the International PhD Program in Innovative Technologies and Sustainable Use of Mediterranean Sea Fishery and Biological Resources of the University of Bologna, in association with the Italian National Research Council (FishMed-PhD);
October 2018 and July 2019, Delegate of the Rector of the University of Bologna to the Assembly of Associates of the National Technological Cluster “Blue Italian Growth” (BIG);
Since September 2019, Coordinator of Erasmus+ exchanges between the University of Bologna and the Universidad de Jaén, Spain;
Since December 2019, Scientific Coordinator of the Fano Marine Center, the Inter-Institute Center for Research on Marine Biodiversity, Resources and Biotechnologies (www.FanoMarineCenter.eu);
May 2021 – May 2024, Representative of associate professors on the Board of the Department of Biological Geological and Environmental Sciences;
September 2021 – December 2021, Coordinator of Erasmus+ exchanges between University of Bologna and Institute of Marine Research, Norway;
Since November 2021, Member of the University of Bologna Working and Coordination Group for the National Biodiversity Future Center (NBFC)
Since October 2022, University of Bologna Lead for NBFC Spoke 2 "Solutions to reverse marine biodiversity loss and manage marine resources sustainably"
September 2023 – October 2023, Coordinator of Erasmus+ exchanges between the University of Bologna and the Spanish National Research Council (CSIC)
2024, Delegate of the Rector of the University of Bologna to the ordinary meetings of the NBFC Consortium
Since November 2024, Deputy Coordinator of the International PhD program in Innovative Technologies and Sustainable Use of the Mediterranean Sea Fishery and Biological Resources of the University of Bologna, in association with the Italian National Research Council (FishMed-PhD)
Scientific Advisory
SG acts as reviewer for:
- several journals (AMBIO, American Naturalist, Biodiversity and Conservation, Biogeosciences, Biological Invasions, Biology Letters, BMC Evolutionary Biology, Bulletin of Marine Science, Cell & Tissue Research, Chinese Journal of Oceanology and Limnology, Communications Biology, Conservation Biology, Coral Reefs, Estuaries and Coasts, Fisheries Research, Frontiers in Marine Science, Functional Ecology, Global and Planetary Change, Global Change Biology, Hydrobiologia, Journal of Natural History, Journal of the Marine Biological Association of the United Kingdom, Journal of the Royal Society Interface, Journal of Theoretical Biology, Limnology and Oceanography, Marine and Freshwater Research, Marine Biodiversity, Marine Biology, Marine Biology Research, Marine Chemistry, Marine Ecology Progress Series, Marine Ecology-An Evolutionary Perspective, Molecular Ecology, Perspectives in Ecology and Conservation, PLoS ONE, Polar Biology, Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America, Proceedings of the Royal Society B – Biological Sciences, Restoration Ecology, Science Advances, Science China Earth Sciences, Scientific Reports, The Biological Bulletin, Tourism Management, Water, Zoology),
- and for proposals submitted to European Science Foundation (ESF, France); Fonds de la Recherche Scientifique (FRS)-Fonds National de la Recherche Scientifique (FNRS, Belgium); German Ministry of Education and Research (Germany); Israel Science Foundation (ISF, Israel); National Geographic Society (USA); National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA, USA); National Science Foundation (NSF, USA); Zoological Society of London (ZSL, UK); Natural Environment Research Council (NERC, UK); U.S.-Israel Binational Science Foundation (BSF, Israel); European Research Council (ERC, Belgium).
From 2014 to 2022 served as Academic Editor of PLoS ONE; currently he is Associate Editor of "Frontiers in Physiology, Speciality Section Invertebrate Physiology", "Frontiers in Marine Science, Speciality Section Coral Reef Research", and Review Editor of "Frontiers in Marine Science, Speciality Section Marine Pollution".
He is Co-editor of two books by Springer:
2014, "The Mediterranean Sea. Its History and Present Challenges" (Editors: Stefano Goffredo and Zvy Dubinsky). The book focuses on the effects of climate change in the Mediterranean and its shores from its birth, through its present state, to the predicted uncertain future;
2016, "The Cnidaria, Past, Present and Future. The world of Medusa and her sisters" (Editors: Stefano Goffredo and Zvy Dubinsky). This volume presents a broad panorama of the current status of research of invertebrate animals considered belonging to the phylum Cnidaria, such as hydra, jellyfish, sea anemone, and coral.
In 2014 and 2022, SG has been Assessor for
the IUCN, International Union for Conservation of
Nature (Red List
assessment of Mediterranean Anthozoans).
External evaluator of PhD theses: 2012, Doctorate Course in
Life Science, Tel Aviv University, Israel; 2014, Doctorate
Course in Marine Biology, University of Reunion Island, France.
Scientific Diving. SG has been a diving instructor since 1991. In 2006, he introduced the scientific diving standards of the American Academy of Underwater Sciences (AAUS) to Italy by founding the Scientific Diving School and establishing a scientific diving course for master’s students at the University of Bologna. In 2010, the University of Bologna Marine Science Group became the first AAUS Organizational Member in Italy. In the same year, SG was appointed AAUS representative to the Italian Parliament working group on national legislation for diving activities.
Invited Guest Lecturer at International Schools
In 2008 and 2009, SG was invited as guest lecturer at the Marine Science Station in Aqaba, Jordan, where he taught “Population Dynamics of Red Sea and Mediterranean Cnidarians: Computer Modeling of Age-Based Population Dynamics.” The lectures were part of the U.S. National Science Foundation International Research Experiences for Students (IRES) program, within a U.S.–Jordan project organized and led by Nanette Elizabeth Chadwick-Furman, Auburn University, Alabama, USA.
Awards, Major Grants, and Institutional Patronages
1999 – Patronage from the Italian Ministry of the Environment for the research project “Mediterranean Hippocampus Mission: A Study on the Geographical and Ecological Distribution of Seahorses.” Role: project conceiver and co-coordinator.
2002 – Patronage from the Italian Ministry for Environment and Land Protection for the research project “Divers for the Environment: Mediterranean Underwater Biodiversity Project.” Role: project conceiver and co-coordinator.
2006 – Patronage from the Ministry of Tourism of the Arab Republic of Egypt and the Italian Ministry for Environment, Land and Sea Protection for the project “STE: Scuba Tourism for the Environment. Red Sea Biodiversity Monitoring Program.” Role: project conceiver and co-coordinator.
2009 – Grant from the European Research Council for the project “CoralWarm: Corals and Global Warming: The Mediterranean versus the Red Sea” (www.CoralWarm.eu). Role: project conceiver and co-coordinator.
2014 – Grant from the European Space Agency for the Topical Team project “SpaceBioMat: Space Bioreactor for Marine Mineralization Material Research.” Role: project co-conceiver and coordinator.
2018 – Patronage from the Municipality of Palermo, Italy, for the project “Sea Sentinels – Divers United for the Environment.” Role: project conceiver and coordinator.
2018 and 2019 – Patronage from the Liguria Region, Italy, for the project “Sea Sentinels – Divers United for the Environment.” Role: project conceiver and coordinator.
2019 – Patronage from the Italian Ministry for Environment, Land and Sea Protection for the project “Sea Sentinels – Divers United for the Environment.” Role: project conceiver and coordinator.
2023 – Grant from the European Union’s NextGenerationEU program, under the PRIN 2022 PNRR call, for the project “ENDRIMUS: Environmental Drivers Affecting Fattening and Calcification Processes of Wild and Farmed Mussels in the Adriatic Sea.” Role: project coordinator.
2024 – Patronage from the Italian Ministry of Environment and Energy Security for the project “Sea Sentinels – Divers United for the Environment.” Role: project conceiver and coordinator.
2024 – Patronage from the Italian Ministry of Tourism for the project “Sea Sentinels – Divers United for the Environment.” Role: project conceiver and coordinator.
