PolytecHnic University of Marche

Fabio Rindi - Polythecnic University of Marche

Partner Coordinator

Dr Fabio Rindi is a senior lecturer in the Department of Life and Environmental Sciences at the Polytechnic University of Marche (UNIVPM). A Ph.D. graduate of the University of Pisa (Italy), Dr Rindi moved to UNIVPM in November 2010 after postdoctoral experiences at the National University of Ireland, Galway (Galway, Republic of Ireland) and at the University of Alabama (Tuscaloosa, AL, U.S.A.). Dr Rindi is a phycologist, with wide general interest in all aspects of the biology of algae. His research focuses on algal systematics, molecular phylogeny, ecology, and conservation of marine habitats formed by algal bioconstructors. Calcified red algae of the orders Corallinales and Hapalidiales are among the main target groups of his recent research.

Stefania Puce - Polythecnic University of Marche

Stefania Puce is associate professor in the Department of Life and Environmental Sciences at the Polytechnic University of Marche (UNIVPM). She graduated in Biological Sciences at the University of Genova then she moved to UNIVPM where earned the PhD in Marine Biology and Ecology. The scientific interests of Stefania Puce are mainly biodiversity, ecology, ethology of hydrozoans and, more generally, of cnidarians. Taxonomic research concerning hydrozoans mainly deals with Mediterranean, Indo-Pacific and Antarctic species. Particular attention is paid to the life histories of hydrozoans and their symbiotic relationships with other organisms. Taxonomy and ecology of calcified hydrozoans of the family Stylasteridae are also one of the topics of her recent research.

Recent publications relevant to Reef ReseArch:

• Pica, D., Bastari, A., Vaga, C. F., Di Camillo, C. G., Montano, S., Puce, S. (2017). Hydroid diversity of Eilat Bay with the description of a new Zanclea species. Marine Biology Research, 1-11.
• Pica D., Tribollet A., Golubic S., Bo M., Di Camillo C. G., Bavestrello G., Puce S. (2016). Microboring organisms in living stylasterid corals (Cnidaria, Hydrozoa). Marine Biology Research. 12 (6), 573-582.
• Puce S., Pica D., Schiaparelli S., Negrisolo E. (2016). Integration of morphologic data into molecular phylogenetic analysis: toward the identikit of the stylasterid ancestor. PLoS ONE. 11(8): e0161423. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0161423.
• Montano, S., Arrigoni, R., Pica, D., Maggioni, D., Puce, S. (2015). New insights into the symbiosis between Zanclea (Cnidaria, Hydrozoa) and scleractinians. Zoologica Scripta, 44(1), 92-105.
• Di Camillo C.G., Betti F., Bo M., Martinelli M., Puce S., Vasapollo C., Bavestrello G. (2012) Population dynamics of Eudendrium racemosum (Cnidaria, Hydrozoa) from the North Adriatic Sea. Marine Biology, 159/7, 1593-1609. 

Annalisa Caragnano - Polythecnic University of Marche

Annalisa Caragnano is a post-doc in the Department of Life and Environmental Sciences at the Polytechnic University of Marche (UNIVPM). She graduated in Natural Sciences at the University of Milano, and she earned a Ph.D in Earth Sciences at the University of Milano-Bicocca. She moved to UNIVPM after postdoctoral experiences at the University of Milano-Bicocca and at the IRD (Institut de recherché pour le développement), France. Dr Caragnano is a biologist and geologist specialized in the coral reefs ecology and in the calcifying organisms such as corals and coralline algae. Since the 2003 she has been studying the composition and spatio-temporal dynamics of coral and coralline algae benthic assemblages in the Red Sea, in the North West Indian Ocean, and West Pacific Ocean. She is specialized in geochemical analysis in coralline algae thallus and coral skeleton as proxy for paleoclimatic reconstruction, and in taxonomy and biogeography of coralline algae. She has extensive fieldwork experience gained during research expeditions and consultancy works with a particular focus on the Red Sea, North West the Indian Ocean, and South-West Pacific Ocean, but also in the Mediterranean Sea.

Recent publications relevant to Reef ReseArch:

• Caragnano A, Foetisch A, Maneveldt G, Millet L, Lin L-C., Lin S-M, Rodondi G, Payri CE (2018) Revision of Corallinaceae (Corallinales, Rhodophyta): recognizing Dawsoniolithon gen. nov., Parvicellularium gen. nov. and Chamberlainoideae subfam. nov. containing Chamberlainium gen. nov. and Pneophyllum. Journal of Phycology. doi:10.1111/jpy.12644.
• Caragnano A, Basso D, Storz D, Jacob DE, Ragazzola F, Benzoni F, Dutrieux E (2017) Element variability in the coralline alga Lithophyllum yemenense as archive of past climate in the Gulf of Aden (NW Indian Ocean). Journal of Phycology. doi:10.1111/jpy.12509.
• Caragnano A, Basso D, Rodondi G (2016) Growth rates and ecology of coralline rhodoliths from the Ras Ghamila back reef lagoon, Red Sea. Marine Ecology. doi: 10.1111/maec.12371.
• Basso D, Caragnano A, Rodondi G (2015) The genus Lithophyllum in the north-western Indian Ocean, with description of L. yemenense sp. nov., L. socotraense sp. nov., L. subplicatum comb. et stat. nov., and the resumed L. affine, L. kaiseri, and L. subreduncum (Rhodophyta, Corallinales). Phytotaxa, 208:183-200.
• Basso D, Caragnano A, Rodondi G. (2014) Trichocytes in Lithophyllum kotschyanum  and Lithophyllum spp. (Corallinales, Rhodophyta) from the NW Indian Ocean. Journal of Phycology, 50:711-717.
• Caragnano A, Basso D, Jacob DE, Storz D, Rodondi G, Benzoni F, Dutrieux E (2014) The coralline red alga Lithophyllum kotschyanum f. affine as proxy of climate variability in the Yemen coast, Gulf of Aden (NW Indian Ocean). Geoch Cosmoch Acta, 124:1-17.

Alessandra Bellucci - Polythecnic University of Marche

Alessandra Bellucci is a PhD student at the Department of Life and Environmental Sciences at the Polytechnic University of Marche (UNIVPM). She has a bachelor degree in Biological Science at UNIVPM and a master degree in Biodiversity and Evolution at University of Bologna.

Her principal research interest are:

- Marine ecology

- Taxonomy and population genetics of marine invertebrates

Evangelisti F., Bellucci A., Sabelli B., Albano P.G. (2017). The periwinkle Echinolittorina punctata (Mollusca: Gastropoda) tracked the warming of the Mediterranean Sea following the Last Glacial Maximum. Marine Biology 164 (2): 1-15.