Senior Scientist
Section EMI

Tel. +39 081 5833504
Fax: +39 081 984201
e-mail mariacristina.buia(at)szn.it

Download Curriculum Vitae

Research interests

Ecology of marine vegetated systems. Main researches concern adaptive responses (at different spatial and temporal scales) of marine seagrasses and benthic algae (including alien species) to environmental and climatic changes.  In the last years researches on the effects of ocean acidification and on the environmental quality assessment of shallow coastal systems dominated by habitat former species have been improved.

Selected Publications

Pergent-Martini C., Leoni V., Pasqualini V., Ardizzone G.D., Balestri E., Bedini R., Belluscio A., Belsher T., Borg J., Boudouresque C.F., Boumaza S., Bouquegneau J.M., Buia M.C., et al. (2005). Descriptors of Posidonia oceanica Meadows: Use and application. Boindicators 5: 213-230.

Zupo V, Buia MC, Gambi MC, Lorenti M, Procaccini G (2006). Temporal variations in the spatial distribution of shoot density in a Posidonia oceanica meadow and patterns of genetic diversity. Marine Ecology 27(4): 328-338.

Raniello R, Lorenti M,  Brunet C, Buia MC (2006). Photoacclimation of the invasive alga Caulerpa racemosa var. cylindracea to depth and daylight patterns and a putative new role for siphonaxanthin. Marine Ecology, 27:20-30.

Flagella MM,  Verlaque M,  Soria A,  Buia MC (2007). Macroalgal survival in ballast water tanks. Mar. Poll. Bull. 54(9):1395-1401.

Flagella MM, Lorenti M, Buia MC (2008). Temperature response in a shallow Mediterranean population of Caulerpa racemosa var. cylindracea (Caulerpales, Chlorophyta) and a possible strategy of season anticipation. Botanica Marina 51: 278-284.

Hall-Spencer JM, Rodolfo-Metalpa R, Martin S, Ransome E, Fine M, Turner SM, Rowley SJ, Tedesco D, Buia MC (2008). Volcanic carbon dioxide vents show ecosystem effects of ocean acidification. Nature 454:96:99.

Martin S, Rodolfo-Metalpa R, Ransome E, Rowley S, Buia MC, Gattuso JP, Hall-Spencer JM (2008) Effects of naturally acidified seawater on seagrass calcareous epibionts. Biology Letters, 4(6):689-692.
Calvo S., Di Maida G., Pirrotta M., Tomasello A., Luzzu F., Scannavano A., Orestano C., Procaccini G., Buia M.C., Cinelli F., Cormaci M., Furnari G., Giaccone G., Mazzola A., Vizzini S. (2010) Seagrasses along the Sicilian coasts. Chemistry and Ecology 26 (Supp 1): 249-266

Flagella MM, Andreakis N., Hiraoka M, Verlaque M., Buia MC. (2010) Identification of cryptic Ulva species (Chlorophyta, Ulvales) transported by ballast water. Journal of Biological Research-Thessaloniki 13: 47 – 57.

Lopez Y Royo C., Pergent G., Alcoverro T., Buia M.C., Casazza G.,  Martínez-Crego B., Pérez M., Silvestre F., Romero J. (2011). The seagrass Posidonia oceanica as indicator of coastal water quality: Experimental intercalibration of classification systems. Ecological Indicators, 11 (2): 557-563.

Pergent G , Bazairi H, Bianchi C N, Boudouresque C-F,. Buia M-C. Calvo S, Clabaut P, Harmelin-Vivien M., Mateo M. Angel, Montefalcone M., Morri C., Orfanidis S., Pergent-Martini C., Semroud R,  Serrano O, Thibaut T, Tomasello A, Verlaque M (2013) Climate change and Mediterranean seagrass meadows: a synopsis for environmental managers. Mediterranean Marine Science, 15/2 doi.org/10.1268/mms.621

Porzio L, Garrard S, Buia MC (2013). The effect of ocean acidification on early algal colonization stages at natural CO2 vents. Marine Biology, 160:2247-2259.

Garrard SL, Gambi MC, Scipione MB, Patti FP, Lorenti M, Zupo V, Paterson DM, Buia MC (2014) Indirect effects may buffer negative responses of seagrass invertebrate communities to ocean acidification. Journal of Experimental Marine Biology and Ecology 461: 31-38.

Crise A, H. Kaberi, J. Ruiz, A. Zatsepin, E. Arashkevich, M. Giani, A.P. Karageorgis, L. Prieto, M. Pantazi, D. Gonzalez-Fernandez, M. Ribera d’Alcalà, V. Tornero, V. Vassilopoulou, X. Durrieu de Madron, C. Guieu, P. Puig, A. Zenetos, B. Andral, D. Angel, D. Altukhov, S.D. Ayata, Y. Aktan, E. Balcıoğlu, F. Benedetti, M. Bouchoucha, M.-C. Buia, et al. (2015). A MSFD complementary approach for the assesment of pressures, knowledge and data gaps in Southern European Seas: the PRESEUS experience. Marine Pollution Bullettin 95:28- 39.

Kumar A, Castellano I, Patti FP, Palumbo A, Buia MC (2015) Nitric oxide in marine photosynthetic organisms. Nitric Oxide 47: 34-39.

Lauritano C, Ruocco M, Buia MC, Silva J, Santos R, Olivè I, Costa MM & Procaccini G (2015). Response of key stress-related genes of the seagrass Posidonia oceanica in the vicinity of submarine volcanic vents. biogeosciences Discuss 12:4947-4971.

Book Chapters
Bianchi CN, Buia MC (2008). Gli ecosistemi a fanerogame. In: Praterie a fanerogame marine. Piante con fiori nel Mediterraneo. Ministero dell’Ambiente e della Tutela del Territorio e del Mare (Roma). Museo Friulano di Storia Naturale (Udine). Quaderni Habitat (19): 23-41. ISBN 88 88192 30 1.

Bianchi CN, Buia MC (2008). Seagrass ecosystems. In: Seagrass meadows. Flowering plants in the Mediterranean Sea. Ministero dell’Ambiente e della Tutela del Territorio e del Mare (Roma). Museo Friulano di Storia Naturale (Udine). Quaderni Habitat (19): 23-41. ISBN 88 88192 39 5.

Gambi MC, Buia MC (2008). La vegetazione. In: Guida geologico ambientale dell’isola d’Ischia. L Monti Ed., Regione Campania: 147-156

Buia M.C. (2011). La biodiversità nell’area marina dei Campi Flegrei. Impiego della flora bentonica per descrivere lo stato ecologico di alcuni sistemi costieri. In: "Il fuoco dal mare", P. Coiro e G. F. Russo (eds), I Quaderni di uomo e natura.3: 113-122.

Zingone A., Buia MC (2012). 19.Golfo di Napoli. In: Bertoni, R. [Ed.] La rete italiana per la ricerca ecologica a lungo termine (LTER-ITALIA). Aracne Editrice, Roma, pp. 189-96. ISBN 978-88-548-4661-6.

Pergent G., Bazairi H., Bianchi C.N., Boudouresque C-F., Buia M.C., Clabaut P., Harmelin-Vivien M., Mateo M.A., Montefalcone M., Morri C., Orfanidis S., Pergent-Martini C., Semroud R., Serrano O.,  Verlaque M. (2012). Les herbiers de Magnoliophytes marines de Méditerranée: Résilience et contribution à l’atténuation des changements climatiques. Gland Switzerland and Malaga, Spain: IUCN, 80 pp. ISBN:978-2-8317-1458-5.

Buia M.C. (2014). Ischia: l’isola verde anche sotto il mare. In: Ischia Patrimonio dell’Umanità. Natura e cultura. A cura di: Leone U., P. Greco. Doppiavoce Editore, Napoli. Prima edizione 2014. ISBN 978-88-89972-44-1: 61-69.