Researcher
Stazione Zoologica Anton Dohrn
Sicily Marine Centre
Integrative Marine Ecology Department
Lungomare Cristoforo Colombo (complesso Roosevelt), 90149 Palermo - Italia
Tel.: +39 3200878963
E-mail: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
Contatto Skype: davidespata87
Curriculum vitae
Davide Spatafora – Google Scholar
Research interests
My research is mainly focused on the conservation of marine ecosystems, with a particular interest in the study of fish communities and their response to climate change and ocean acidification.
During my PhD and subsequently, during my postdoctoral research abroad, I combined laboratory experiments and manipulative experiments in different natural CO2 emission systems to study the behavioural, physiological and molecular responses of fish species, marine invertebrates (sea urchins and polychaetes) and microorganisms to high CO2 concentrations and/or temperatures. The aim was to understand and predict which functional traits might confer acclimatization and adaptive capabilities in a scenario of ocean warming and acidification.
After my PhD, I used different sampling techniques (Baited Underwater Video, Underwater Visual Census) to monitor coastal fish communities and assess the effectiveness of protection in Marine Protected Areas and Natura 2000 sites.
Currently, my research aims to combine my expertise in conservation and experimental ecology to: i) update existing information on the distribution of species and habitats in the Mediterranean to identify priority areas for the conservation of fish species (e.g., nursery areas and aggregation sites of threatened species); ii) enhance research and emphasize the importance of protecting lesser-known marine ecosystems, such as hydrothermal vents, which host unique biodiversity that is potentially adapted to extreme environmental conditions and capable of providing ecosystem services and Nature-based Solution (NBS) to mitigate the effects of climate change.
Project
PNRR “NBFC” National Biodiversity Future Center
Selected Publications
• Cattano, C., Calò, A., Aglieri, G., Cattano, P., Di Lorenzo, M., Grancagnolo, D., Lanzarone, D., Principato, E., Spatafora, D., Turco, G., Milazzo, M. (2023). Literature, social media and questionnaire surveys identify relevant conservation areas for Carcharhinus species in the Mediterranean Sea. Biological Conservation, 277, 109824.
(DOI: 10.1016/j.biocon.2022.109824)
• Spatafora, D., Cattano, C., Aglieri, G., Quattrocchi, F., Turco, G., Quartararo, G., Dudemaine, J., Calosi. P., Milazzo, M. (2022). Limited behavioural effects of ocean acidification on a Mediterranean anemone goby (Gobius incognitus) chronically exposed to elevated CO2 levels. Marine Environmental Research 181, 105758.
(DOI: 10.1016/j.marenvres.2022.105758)
• Spatafora, D., Massamba N’Siala, G., Quattrocchi, F., Milazzo, M., Calosi, P. (2021). Plastic adjustments of biparental care behaviour across embryonic development under elevated temperature in a marine ectotherm. Ecology and Evolution, 11, 11155-11167. (DOI: 10.1002/ece3.7902)
• Aglieri, G., Baillie, C., Mariani, S., Cattano, C., Calò, A., Turco, G., Spatafora, D., Di Franco, A., Di Lorenzo, M., Guidetti, P., Milazzo, M. (2020). Environmental DNA effectively captures functional diversity of coastal fish communities. Molecular Ecology, 20, 3127-3139. (DOI: 10.1111/mec.15661)
•Milazzo M., Cattano C., Alonzo S.H., Foggo A., Gristina M., Rodolfo-Metalpa R., Sinopoli M., Spatafora D., Stiver K.A., Hall-Spencer J.M. (2016). Ocean acidification affects fish spawning but not paternity at CO2 seeps. Proceedings of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences October 2016 283: 20161021. (DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2016.1021h)
