Researcher
Dept. of Integrative Marine Ecology (EMI)

Stazione Zoologica Anton Dohrn
Villa Comunale
80121 - Napoli - Italy

Phone: +39 081 5833258
e-mail: emilio.riginella(at)szn.it
Contatto Skype: emilio riginella

Curriculum Vitae

Research Activity

My research focuses on fishery biology, a multidisciplinary research field that requires an integrated approach, ranging from direct interaction with fishermen to embarking on board, collection of historical fishery data, analysis of commercial fish species’ vulnerability, environmental data recording and collaborations with molecular biologists. I became familiar with different fishing techniques more than 15 years ago, by studying both artisanal and industrial fisheries and how they affect biodiversity and marine environment in terms of selectivity and impact. The aim of these efforts is to investigate possible ways to mitigate the effect of fishery pressure on fish stocks and the environment. To achieve this goal, in addition to field work together with fishermen, laboratory analyses are essential to determine which life history traits of target species within teleosts and elasmobranchs are crucially important to determine which species are more vulnerable to fishery pressure. In most cases critical traits are linked to reproduction, therefore parameters such as growth rate, size/age at sexual maturity, reproductive period, fecundity and gonad development of fish species, which I perform using histological analyses of the gonads and otoliths reading, allow to have robust data to support regulation fishery policies, with the ultimate goal to make fishery more sustainable.
During my career I participated to several oceanographic surveys, 5 of which in the remote Antarctic regions, where I improved my skills as a coordinator of sampling activities on board of research vessels and fishing boats and as a member of efficient working teams.

Selected Publications

La Mesa M, Donato F, Riginella E, Mazzoldi C. (2018). Life history traits of a poorly known pelagic fish, Aethotaxis mitopteryx (Perciformes, Notothenioidei) from the Weddell Sea. Polar Biology. doi.org/10.1007/s00300-018-2318-1

La Mesa M, Calì F, Donato F, Riginella E, Mazzoldi C. (2017). Aspects of the biology of the Antarctic dragonfish Gerlachea australis (Notothenioidei: Bathydraconidae) in the Weddell Sea, Antarctica. Polar Biology. 1-11. doi: org/10.1007/s00300-017-2240-y.

La Mesa M, Riginella E, Jones CD. (2017). Early life history traits and geographical distribution of Parachaenichthys charcoti. Antarctic Science. 29: (5) 410-416. doi.org/10.1017/S0954102017000189.

La Mesa M, Riginella E, Catalano B, Jones CD, Mazzoldi C. (2017). Maternal contribution to spawning and early life-history strategies of the genus Lepidonotothen (Nototheniidae, Perciformes) along the southern Scotia Arc. Polar Biology. 40 (7): 1441-1450. doi: 10.1007/s00300-016-2068-x.

Calì F, Riginella E, La Mesa M, Mazzoldi C. (2017). Life history traits of Notothenia rossii and N. coriiceps along the southern Scotia Arc. Polar Biology. 40 (7): 1409-1423. doi: 10.1007/s00300-016-2066-z.

Meneghesso C, Riginella E, La Mesa M, Donato F, Mazzoldi C. (2017). Age and reproduction in two Antarctic plunderfishes (Artedidraconidae) from the Weddell Sea. 40:13–24 PolarBiology. doi: n10.1007/s00300-016-1919-9.

Riginella E, Mazzoldi C, Ashford J, Jones CD, Morgan C, La Mesa M. (2016). Life history strategies of the Scotia Sea icefish, Chaenocephalus aceratus, along the Southern Scotia Ridge. Polar Biology. 39: 497-509. doi: 10.1007/s00300-015-1802-0.

Marino IAM, Riginella E, Gristina M, Rasotto MB, Zane L, Mazzoldi C. (2015). Multiple paternity and hybridization in two smooth-hound sharks. Scientific Reports. doi: 10.1038/srep12919.

Eakin RR, Riginella E, La Mesa M. (2015). A New Species of Artedidraco (Pisces: Artedidraconidae) from the Weddell Sea, Antarctica. Polar Biology. 38:1597-1603. doi: 10.1007/s00300-015-1721-0.

La Mesa M, Riginella E, Melli V, Bartolini F, Mazzoldi C. (2015). Biological traits of a sub-Antarctic nototheniid, Patagonotothen ramsayi, from the Burdwood Bank. Polar Biology. 39 (1) 103–111. doi 10.1007/s00300-015-1663-6.

Finotto L, Gristina M, Garofalo G, Riginella E, Mazzoldi C. (2015). Contrasting life history and reproductive traits in two populations of Scyliorhinus canicula. Marine Biology. 162: 1175-1186. doi: 10.1007/s00227-015-2659-z.

La Mesa M, Castelli A, Eastman JT, Riginella E. (2015). Factors involved in prey resource partitioning in the genus Artedidraco (Notothenioidei, Artedidraconidae) from the western Ross Sea. Hydrobiologia. 761: 249–259. doi 10.1007/s10750-015-2206-4.

La Mesa M, Riginella E, Mazzoldi C, Ashford J. (2014). Reproductive resilience of ice-dependent Antarctic silverfish in a rapidly changing system along the Western Antarctic Peninsula. Marine Ecology. 36: 235-245. doi: 10.1111/maec.12140.

Marino IAM, Riginella E, Cariani A, Tinti F, Farrell ED, Mazzoldi C, Zane L. (2014). New Molecular Tools for the Identification of 2 Endangered Smooth-Hound Sharks, Mustelus mustelus and Mustelus punctulatus. Journal of Heredity. 106 (1) 123-130. doi:10.1093/jhered/esu064.

Mazzoldi C, Sambo A, Riginella E. (2014). The Clodia database: a long time series of fishery data from the Adriatic Sea. Scientific Data. 1, 140018. doi: 10.1038/sdata.2014.18.

Barausse A, Correale V, Curkovic A, Finotto L, Riginella E, Visentin E, Mazzoldi C. (2014). The role of fisheries and the environment in driving the decline of elasmobranchs in the northern Adriatic Sea. ICES Journal of Marine Science. 71 (7): 1593-1603. doi.10.1093/icesjms/fst222.

Melli V, Riginella E, Nalon M, Mazzoldi C. (2014). From trap to nursery. Mitigating the impact of artisanal fishery on cuttlefish offspring. Plos One. 9(2): e90542. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0090542.

Meneghesso C, Riginella E, La Mesa M, Donato F, Mazzoldi C. (2013). Life history traits and population decline of the Atlantic mackerel, Scomber scombrus. 83 (5): 1249-1267. Journal of Fish Biology. doi:10.1111/jfb.12223.

Barausse A, Micheli A, Riginella E, Palmeri L, Mazzoldi C. (2011). Long-term changes in community composition and life-history traits in a highly exploited basin (Northern Adriatic Sea): the role of environment and anthropogenic pressures. 79 (6): 1453-1486. Journal of Fish Biology. doi:10.1111/j.1095-8649.2011.03139.x.

Fanelli E, Badalamenti F, D’Anna G, Pipitone C, Riginella E, Azzurro E. (2011). Food partitioning and diet temporal variation in two coexisting sparids, Pagellus erythrinus and P. acarne. Journal of Fish Biology. 78 (3): 869-900. doi:10.1111/j.1095-8649.2011.02915.x.

Websites or online articles

Webpage Database of Fishery Data from Chioggia, Northern Adriatic Sea: https://chioggia.biologia.unipd.it/banche-dati/