Ph. D. Student
Department of Integrative Marine Ecology

Genoa Marine Centre (GMC) Stazione Zoologica Anton Dohrn
Villa del Principe, Piazza del Principe 4, 16126 Genoa, Italy
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Curriculum Vitae

Director of Studies: Dr Ulisse Cardini
External Supervisor: Prof. Fabio Bulleri
Program: Università di Pisa, Dottorato di ricerca in Biologia - ciclo 40°

Research Interests

Seagrass meadows are among the most productive ecosystems and are fundamental to greenhouse gas mitigation and nutrient cycling. Major contributors to these processes are microbial communities and their host invertebrates, which are housed within the ecosystem. It has been shown that these microbe–host holobionts have unique roles in processing sulphur, methane, nitrogen, and carbon, maintaining the balance of the ecosystem.
However, our understanding of the exact roles of these microbe–host holobionts in biogeochemical cycling, and their subsequent effect on the health of the overall ecosystem and GHG absorption, is incomplete. This knowledge is integral to the protection of seagrass ecosystems and the preservation of their GHG mitigation capabilities. My research aims to address this gap by identifying key microbe–host biogeochemical pathways, determining how different holobionts interact with eachother in the context of these pathways and the effect of disrupting these interactions, and exploring the consequences of increased warming scenarios. This work will provide insight into the key cycling processes of seagrass ecosystems and how predicted ocean warming may disrupt these essential services.