Research fellow
Integrative Marine Ecology Department
Stazione Zoologica Anton Dohrn, Villa Comunale, 80121, Napoli, Italia
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ORCID: 0000-0003-0380-2888
Google scholar profile
Supervisor: Priscilla Licandro
Appointed on project: PNRR Spoke 1, Linea 1 – Diversitá morfologica e molecolare dello zooplancton gelatinoso nei mari italiani
Research interests
My scientific trajectory, which began in 2017, spans a total of nine years and includes a postdoctoral period of three years and nine months.
My research in biological oceanography and marine ecology focuses on understanding the mechanisms that regulate biodiversity and the trophic ecology of plankton, ranging from protists to gelatinous zooplankton and fish larvae (ichthyoplankton), as well as how these organisms respond to environmental, climatic, and anthropogenic changes (e.g., contamination pollution).
My research approaches include the integrated use of standard techniques—such as microscopy, flow cytometry, and stable isotope analysis—together with modern molecular biology methods, applied to the study of taxonomy and biodiversity, and to eco-physiological processes in plankton in response to environmental changes.
My research activity involves fieldwork (oceanographic cruises, monthly sampling, mesocosm experiments) and laboratory experimentation (implementation of medium- and long-term cultures), as well as, in part, numerical ecology through the application of statistical models.
Throughout my career as a marine biologist and biological oceanographer, I have established a network of collaborators that includes researchers from Italian, European, and non-European institutions, and I have participated in numerous projects.
Tasks
Research fellow in the scope of the PNRR-funded project, Morphological and molecular characterization of gelatinous zooplankton in the Gulf of Naples. Collecting zooplankton samples at the long-term station LTER-MareChiara. Analyzing and counting the collected samples, classical taxonomic identification using microscopy, and molecular taxonomy through DNA barcoding. Developing taxonomic sheets to support the compilation of biodiversity checklists.
Main Publications
• Swalethorp R1* et al. (2026). “Selective feeding of Southern Bluefin Tuna (Thunnus maccoyii) larvae on appendicularians in their eastern Indian Ocean spawning region.” Deep Sea Research Part II. 10.1016/j.dsr2.2026.105591
• Décima M1*. et al. (2026). “Trophic processes in the eastern Indian Ocean Southern Bluefin Tuna spawning region.” Deep Sea Research Part II. 10.1016/j.dsr2.2026.105592
• Traboni C1* et al. (2026). “Exploring the roles of trophic mode and microbial prey size in grazing pathways of tropical oligotrophic waters of the eastern Indian Ocean.” Deep Sea Research Part II. 10.1016/j.dsr2.2025.105573
• Selph KE1* et al. (2025).” Acidic vacuole-containing organisms are a majority of the eukaryotic microbial community in oligotrophic Argo Basin waters (Eastern Indian Ocean).” Deep Sea Research Part II. 10.1016/j.dsr2.2025.105563
• Landry MR1* et al. (2025). “Overview of BLOOFINZ/INDITUN investigations of the southern bluefin spawning region off northwest Australia, January-March 2022.” Deep Sea Research Part II. 10.1016/j.dsr2.2025.105564
• Nocera AC1* et al. (2025). “The effect of ocean alkalinity enhancement on zooplankton standing stock and community composition in the Eastern Mediterranean Sea: a mesocosm study.” Marine Environmental Research. 10.1016/j.marenvres.2025.107489
• Traboni C1* et al. (2025). “Plankton do not care: Minimal effects of ocean liming on plankton growth and grazing in the Eastern Mediterranean.” Limnology and Oceanography. 10.1002/lno.70136
• De Juan C1* et al. (2024). “Metabolic balance of a marine neritic copepod under chronic and acute warming scenarios.” Marine Environmental Research. 10.1016/j.marenvres.2024.106827
• Anschütz AA1* et al. (2024). “Importance of integrating mixoplankton into coastal management - examples from the Marine Strategy Framework Directive.” Integrated Environmental Assessment and Management. 10.1002/ieam.4914
• Traboni C1* et al. (2023). “Microplastics in the menu of Mediterranean zooplankton: insights from the feeding response of the calanoid copepod Centropages typicus.” Marine Ecology. 10.1111/maec.12760
• Traboni C1* et al. (2021). “Mixotrophy upgrades food quality for marine calanoid copepods.” Limnology and Oceanography. 10.1002/lno.11948
• Traboni C1* et al. (2020). “Effects of prey trophic mode on the gross-growth efficiency of marine copepods: the case of mixoplankton.” Scientific Reports. 10.1038/S41598-020-69174-W
• Flynn KJ1* et al. (2019). “Mixotrophic protists and a new paradigm for marine ecology: where does plankton research go now?” Journal of Plankton Research. 10.1093/PLANKT/FBZ026
• Traboni C1 et al. (2018). “Investigating cellular stress response to heat stress in the seagrass Posidonia oceanica in a global change scenario.” Marine Environmental Research. 10.1016/J.MARENVRES.2018.07.007
