Fishery biology

The biological investigation of marine living resources is a dominating focus within the fisheries and aquaculture field of research.

Typically, this topic deals with the study of the biological and ecological characteristic of the main commercially-exploited marine resources, aimed to provide advices for fishery policies in terms of management and ecological sustainability. In particular, the interest is focused on a wide range of marine organisms, including finfish, molluscs, crustaceans and marine mammals.

Main research topics concern reproductive biology, feeding habits, growth and longevity, behaviour, as well as systematic of these species. Sampling activities are carried out in both coastal and deep water environments, as well as marine protected areas and artificial reefs, mainly located in the Adriatic and Mediterranean Sea, but also in remote areas (Southern Ocean).

All these data are used as basic tools to evaluate resources integrity and their exploitation levels, to estimate the impact of fishing activities on exploited stocks and their habitats, in ecological modelling and, ultimately, to build up rules aimed at a sustainable fisheries management.