AREAS OF SCIENTIFIC INTEREST
Coral ecology and biology : demography, growth rates and
population dynamics patterns in temperate and tropical corals and
their relationships with environmental factors; growth and
population dynamics modeling; the role of boring organisms in
bioerosion of corals and coral reefs; effects of natural and
anthropogenic disturbances on coral reef communities; modular
growth and predictable patterns of colony and population growth;
sexual and asexual reproduction; population genetic structure and
connectivity; planula larval behaviour and metamorphosis;
morphology of gametogenesis; reef community structure; life history
strategies; conservation ecology and management of coral reef;
global climate change and its effect on temperate and tropical
coral-reef communities; the use of contemporary corals in
predictive models concerning with global climate change;
biomineralization.
Citizen Science : university research, industry, and
policy interdisciplinary interactions; international cooperation;
volunteers in research; marine conservation monitoring; sustainable
tourism; biodiversity monitoring, recreational activities,
education, scientific literacy and naturalistic awareness.
Biomineralization and Microgravity
: biomaterials for biomimetic scaffolds; biomineralized tissues;
biomineralizing organisms; biominerals; calcification; corals;
genetic and environmental control on biomineralization; marine
mineralization; material research; mechanical and biogenic
properties of biomaterials; porosity; space bioreactor.
RESEARCHES (please also visit www.marinesciencegroup.org)
Coral Ecology and Biology
CoralWarm. Corals and global warming: the Mediterranean
versus the Red Sea (www.CoralWarm.eu )
In collaboration with Prof. Zvy Dubinsky (Bar Ilan
University) and Prof. Giuseppe Falini (Chemistry Department,
University of Bologna). Project funded by ERC:
the European Research Council (IDEAS
program-FP7, European Commission,
EU).
CoralWarm will generate for the first time projections of
temperate and subtropical coral survival by integrating sublethal
temperature increase effects on metabolic and skeletal processes in
Mediterranean and Red Sea key species. CoralWarm unique approach is
from the nano- to the macro-scale, correlating molecular events to
environmental processes. This will show new pathways to future
investigations on cellular mechanisms linking environmental factors
to final phenotype, potentially improving prediction powers and
paleoclimatological interpretation. Biological and chemical
expertise will merge, producing new interdisciplinary approaches
for ecophysiology and biomineralization. Field transplantations
will be combined with controlled experiments under IPCC scenarios.
Corals will be grown in aquaria, exposing the Mediterranean species
native to cooler waters to higher temperatures, and the Red Sea
ones to gradually increasing above ambient warming seawater.
Virtually all state-of-the-art methods will be used, by uniquely
combining the investigators' expertise. Expected results include
responses of algal symbionts' photosynthesis, host, symbiont and
holobiont respiration, biomineralization rates and patterns,
including colony architecture, and reproduction to temperature and
pH gradients and combinations. Integration of molecular aspects of
potential replacement of symbiont clades, changes in skeletal
crystallography, with biochemical and physiological aspects of
temperature response, will lead to a novel mechanistic model
predicting changes in coral ecology and survival prospect.
High-temperature tolerant clades and species will be revealed,
allowing future bioremediation actions and establishment of coral
refuges, saving corals and coral reefs for future generations
Citizen Science
DUE: Divers United for the Environment - Mediterranean Underwater Biodiversity Project (www.DUEproject.org)
Project Funded by PADI (www.padi.com), SCUBAPRO (www.scubapro.com), Confcommercio - Imprese per l'Italia (https://www.confcommercio.it), National Geographic Expedition - Kel 12 Tour Operator - (https://www.nationalgeographicexpeditions.it/); in collaboration with ANSA (www.ansa.it)
Main Objectives:
- Involve divers in the collection of data on the
marine biodiversity
- Promote environmental education
- Promote the development of sustainable tourism
- Give an additional value to recreational dives
Microgravity biomineralization
Topical Team: space bioreactor for marine mineralization
material research (SpaceBioMat)
In collaboration with Prof. Zvy Dubinsky ( Faculty of Life
Sciences , Bar Ilan University), Prof. Giuseppe Falini (Chemistry
Department, University of Bologna), and Jaap Kaandorp ( Section
Computational Science, University of Amsterdam ). Project funded
by ESA: European Space Agency.
Goal: the development of an orbiting aquatic biomineralization
research module (the space bioreactor). The module shall provide a
unique possibility to investigate the micro-morphology of
biominerals and gene expression patterns (transcriptomics
experiments) under low gravity conditions, and the process by which
the cells sense gravity-induced changes in their local environment.
Several non-academic and academic partners are involved.
