Ph.D student

Department of Biology and Evolution of Marine Organisms

Stazione Zoologica Anton Dohrn,
Sicily Marine Centre, Contrada Porticatello, 29,
98167 Messina, Italy

Tel.: +39 3396051092
e-mail: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it., This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Ph.D. Coordinator: Maria Cristina Follesa
Internal Supervisor(s): Teresa Romeo, Maria Vittoria Modica
External Supervisor: Maria Cristina Follesa
Program: Life, Environmental and Drug Sciences, University of Cagliari, XLI cycle.

Curriculum vitae

Research interests

My research interests include the biology and ecology of Mediterranean fishes and cephalopods, with a particular focus on demersal species. After two years dedicated to the study of Mediterranean deep-sea communities, my research has become increasingly focused on venomous fish as a model for integrating ecological, genetic, and biochemical approaches. My PhD project is designed around three main research areas: population genetics, venomics and food quality. The project aims to improve our understanding of the genetic structure, biology, and ecological role of selected species. In addition, their potential as sustainable fishery resources and as a source of novel bioactive molecules with biotechnological and pharmaceutical applications will be explored. In parallel, the project seeks to evaluate the use of these species as indicators of the health status of Mediterranean ecosystems. The integration of biological and genetic data with environmental metadata and historical time series will contribute to a deeper understanding of the ecological dynamics of the selected species and of the stressors affecting Mediterranean marine ecosystems. Despite their commercial and ecological relevance, current knowledge of the biology, ecology, and genetic diversity of many venomous fish species remains limited and fragmented.

Publications 

Palummo, V., Milisenda, G., Pica, D., Canese, S., Salvati, E., De Vincenzis, L., Battaglia, P., Spanò, N., Romeo, T., Greco, S. (2025). Ecological role of benthic Vulnerable Marine Ecosystems (VMEs) indicator taxa on soft bottoms. Sci. Rep. 15, 26654. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-025-10243-3.

De Vincenzis, L., Battaglia P., Palummo, V., Milisenda, G., Canese, S., Cardone F., Pica, D., Salvati, E., Stenico F., Consoli P., Costa V., Giova A., Greco S., Romeo T. (2025). No place to hide: Assessing habitat shifts of Benthocometes robustus from Cold-Water corals to marine litter in the Mediterranean Sea. Mar. Environ. Res. 214, 107773. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.marenvres.2025.107773.