Genoa Marine Centre - Stazione Zoologica Anton Dohrn

Palazzo Principe 2 light The Genova Marine Center is a territorial office of the Stazione Zoologica Anton Dohrn (National Institute of Marine Biology, Ecology and Biotechnology) established in October 2021 and dedicated to: i) the study of marine biodiversity; ii) the assessment of the effects of anthropogenic impacts and climate change at sea; iii) the identification of solutions for the conservation of marine species and ecosystems from the perspective of sustainable development (from an environmental, historical-cultural and socio-economic point of view).

Mission

Our mission consists of three main axes:
1) to investigate biodiversity and ecosystem functioning in the marine environment, integrating coastal and offshore systems, as well as pelagic and benthic components;
2) to analyze and evaluate the socio-ecological effects of multiple human impacts (both direct, such as fishing or pollution, and indirect, caused for example by climate change, such as temperature rise, acidification and spread of alien species) on marine organisms, populations, communities, habitats and ecosystems, including the consequences on ecosystem services;
3) to identify solutions for a more sustainable management of marine resources (e.g., in relation to small scale fishing and the consumption of seafood) and a more effective conservation of marine biodiversity (e.g., through networks of Marine Protected Areas), evaluating the effects at the bio-ecological and socio-economic levels.
The purpose of the GMC is, therefore, to carry out research, training-education and institutional support activities in the field of marine biology, ecology and conservation from a sustainable development perspective, according to the guidelines established by the decision-making bodies of the SZN.
The office has managerial autonomy in the forms and within the limits provided for by the Regulations of the SZN.

Scientific interests

The current research staff carries out multidisciplinary research, from basic biology and ecology to applied socio-ecology (which integrates humans into the systems investigated), dealing with organisms, species, saraghi maggiori e sarago faraone foto alessandro grasso populations, communities, habitats and socio-ecosystems, especially in the Mediterranean Sea.
The main focus is 'conservation', a term that combines the protection of marine biodiversity with the human well-being, from a sustainable development perspective, also in support of institutional policies at both local-national (municipalities, regions, ministries) and EU-global levels (DG ENV and MARE; UNEP; etc.), in accordance with the main strategies such as the Biodiversity Strategy for 2030, the cornerstone of the EU Green Deal.
A distinctive feature of the scientific team is that research activities are carried out at sea using multiple methods: i) scientific underwater diving; ii) using research or fishing vessels; iii) by means of remote systems (including ROVs, video cameras, satellite marking, hydrophones); iv) experimentation in laboratory and in controlled environments; v) interviews and questionnaires addressed to stakeholders (fishers, tourists, divers, consumers, etc.), citizens and the general public.
Together with the research activity, the team is strongly involved in training, dissemination, communication, public engagement and education activities, in order to improve the level of knowledge and increase the environmental awareness of both institutions and citizens.
The logistics of the GMC territorial office is under the supervision, within the limits set by the Regulations of the SZN, of the coordinator: Dr. Paolo Guidetti

Staff

Paolo Guidetti, Research Director and Coordinator

Administration

Pietro Santagata

Postdoc

Silvia Secco
Marta Maria Cecchetto
Diego Mattioli
Elena Quintanilla Alcaide
Federico Pinna
Simona Laukaityte
Luca Palazzo
MohammadReza Mirzaei
Roberta Minetti