Researcher
Integrative Marine Ecology Department
Stazione Zoologica Anton Dohrn
C.da Torre Spaccata, località Torre Spaccata
87071, Amendolara (CS), Italy
Tel.: +39 0981 1896904
E-mail: daniela.pica(at)szn.it
Contatto Skype: dani.pica
Research Interests
Taxonomy is one of the oldest spheres of biological investigation. By discovering, identifying, and describing new species, taxonomy is the foundation upon which all biological research rests, that’s why my research interest is based on it, particularly on marine invertebrate taxonomy and evolution of cnidarian and bryozoans. I have described many new species living in all the oceans by integrating the traditional methods of analysis with the modern genetic techniques. I have used many different approaches to investigate the morphology of invertebrates, from histology to microtomography, but also to investigate the ecology and the symbiosis among taxa. Starting from a taxonomical approach, I have worked on the ecology of benthic community both on rocky, sandy, and anthropic substrates paying attention also to non-indigenous species and invasive species in the Mediterranean Sea. In all my studies an important aspect is represented by field surveys, samples collection and underwater experiments that gave me an important base and overview on the taxa relationship, distribution, and habitat changes over time.
Selected Publications
D. Maggioni, A. Garese, D. Huang, B.W. Hoeksema, R. Arrigoni, D. Seveso, P. Galli, M.L. Berumen, E. Montalbetti, D. Pica, F. Torsani, S. Montano (2021). Diversity, host specificity and biogeography in the Cladocorynidae (Hydrozoa, Capitata), with description of a new genus. Cladistics, in press.
A. Zweifler, N.Simon-Blecher, D. Pica, B.K.K. Chan, J. Roth, Y. Achituv (2020). A stranger among us: the occurrence of Cantellius (Balnoidea: Pyrgomatidae) an epibiont of scleractinias in stylasterids (Hydrozoa). Zoological Journal of the Linnean Society, 190(4): 1077–1094.
C. Cerrano, A. Bastari, B. Calcinai, C. Di Camillo, D. Pica, S. Puce, L. Valisano, F. Torsani (2019). Temperate mesophotic ecosystems: gaps and perspectives of an emerging conservation challenge for the Mediterranean Sea. European Zoological Journal, 86(1):370-388
D. Pica, N. Bloecher, A. Dell’Anno, A. Bellucci, T. Pinto, L. Pola, S. Puce (2019). Dynamics of a biofouling community in finfish aquaculture: a case study from the South Adriatic Sea. Biofouling, 35(6):696-709.
D. Pica, B. Calcinai, A. Poliseno, E. Trainito, C. Cerrano (2018). Distribution and phenotypic variability of the Mediterranean gorgonian Paramuricea macrospina (Cnidaria, Octocorallia). European Zoological Journal, 85:393-409.
M. Palma, M. R. Casado, U. Pantaleo, G. Pavoni, D. Pica, C. Cerrano (2018). SfM-Based method to asses gorgonian forests (Paramuricea clavata (Cnidaria, Octocorallia)). Remote Sensing 10, 1154.
A. Bastari, D. Pica, F. Ferretti, F. Micheli, C. Cerrano (2018). Sea pens in the Mediterranean Sea: diversity distributions and opportunities for ecosystem recovery. ICES Journal of Marine Science 75 (5):1722–1732.
D. Pica, A. Tribollet, S. Golubic, M. Bo, C.G. Di Camillo, G. Bavestrello, S. Puce (2016) Microboring organisms in living stylasterid corals (Cnidaria, Hydrozoa). Marine Biology Research 12(6):573-582.
B. Calcinai, M. Bertolino, G. Bavestrello, S. Montori, M. Mori, D. Pica, L. Valisano, C. Cerrano (2015) Comparison between the sponge fauna living outside and inside the coralligenous bioconstruction. A quantitative approach. Mediterranean Marine Science 16(2):413-418.
D. Pica, S.D. Cairns, S. Puce, W.A. Newman (2015) Southern hemisphere deep-water stylasterid corals including a new species, Errina labrosa sp. n. (Cnidaria, Hydrozoa, Stylasteridae), with notes on some symbiotic scalpellids (Cirripedia, Thoracica, Scalpellidae). Zookeys 472:1-25.
Websites or online articles
Pica D. (2019) Lace corals at Lizard Island. Post on The Lizard Island Reef Research Foundation webpage. https://lirrf.org/posts/lace-corals-at-lizard-island/
Databases and repositories
Editors of WORMS for the family Stylasteridae (Cnidaria, Hydrozoa) (2020) http://www.marinespecies.org/aphia.php?p=editors
