Giuseppe Castaldelli
APPOINMENTS
1999-2008: technician at the Department of Biology and Evolution, University of Ferrara.
2008-2014: University researcher in Ecology at the Department of Life Sciences and Biotechnology of the University of Ferrara
2014 to date: Associate Professor in Ecology at the Department of Life Sciences and Biotechnology of the University of Ferrara.
2018: National Scientific Qualification as full professor in Ecology.
EDUCATION
1992: Degree in Biological Sciences, University of Ferrara (110/110 cum laude)
1997: PhD in Ecology, IX Cycle, University of Parma
1997-1998: post-doctoral fellowship at the University of Parma, within the Nitrogen Cycling in Estuaries Project (NICE, MAS3-CT96-0048)
RESEARCH INTERESTS
The experiences gained during the doctoral and postdoc studies in several laboratories in the United States and Europe were fundamental in my scientific training and particularly, the post-doc in a European project (NICE, 1996-1999), led by the Danish school of microbial ecology of the University of Aarhus.
After this training period, I started to work on two main topics, nitrogen pollution and eutrophication, with particular reference to the causes and mitigation strategies, and the ecology of fish communities. Given the complexity of both themes, I’ve always paid great attention to the creation of research groups capable of expressing a multidisciplinary approach.
The most continuous study was that of nitrogen pollution and eutrophication, declined at various levels, ranging from the dynamics and consequences of the process in lagoon environments, to the detailed analysis of the main bacterial processes that regulate it. Subsequently, in a sort of research backwards in the process of identifying the most important sources of nitrogen pollution, I studied the generation of loads from the catchment area, focusing attention on the study of the main caused of vulnerability and the main mechanisms of mitigation. The research on all these sub-topics takes advantage from a wide network of many international and national institutions.
More recent is the study of the ecology of fish communities with particular reference to the effects of the introduction of invasive alien species and eutrophication. Although apparently distant, in the fresh waters of the lowlands, the two themes are closely linked. Worldwide, the introduction of alien species is in fact the second most important cause of biodiversity loss and eutrophication is the third. What connects these two topics even more closely is their spatial location, since the ecosystems where the invasion by exotic fish species is more serious are at the same time the major hot spots of eutrophication. In this context, where native fish species are exposed to a very high risk of disappearance, very promising research concerns the countless links, often causal and potentially synergistic, between the introduction of alien fish species and eutrophication, in a scenario of climate change. The questions addressed so far, on a growing spatial scale that have affected the single river basin, the whole of Emilia-Romagna, the Padano-Vento District and the entire Italian territory, are: identification of the dynamics of exotics’ expansion and natives’ exclusion, the identification in the winning ecological traits of an invasion, and the importance of environmental parameters and eutrophication in determining the distribution patterns of fish species, both exotic and native. The role of invasive alien species on taxonomic diversity and functional diversity of the fish community was also studied. For more applicative purposes, in the same context, a functional quality index of the fish community was also developed, useful for monitoring the biological quality element "fish fauna" (Water Framework Directive and Italian Legislative Decree 152/06), and a parametric method for defining intervention priorities for the recovery of native fish populations. My group on the ecology of fish fauna works in connection with numerous international research institutions.
An expansion of the study of the effects of pollution on fish fauna has focused on endocrine interference and loss of reproductive fitness by native fish populations. In particular, the effects on organs, tissues and genes of perfluorinated compounds, and in particular of perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) on protected and / or fishery fish species, were studied. Since 2010, GC has contributed to several studies on parasites of protected fish species and species of interest for fishing.
RESEARCH PRODUCTION
The research activity carried out by GC in recent years has led to the publication of 131 ISI (WoS and / or Scopus) papers, 121 are of which full-length research articles.
EDITORIAL AND REVIEWING ACTIVITY
GC is academic editor of the journals Sustainability and Water (MDPI) and active reviewer for 20 journals.
COORDINATION AND PARTICIPATION TO RESEARCH PROJECTS
In the last 12 years, GC has been scientific coordinator of projects and/or research units in 34 projects, of which 7 (2 Interreg Europe, 1 Life and 4 regional projects) are still ongoing.
From 1997-2009, GC took part, as a member of a research unit, in 17 multi-year projects of international, national and regional interest.
SCIENTIFIC SOCIETIES MEMBERSHIP
1997 to present - Italian Society of Ecology (S.It.E.)
2008 to present - World Sturgeon Conservation Society (WSCS)
2012 to present - Italian Association of Freshwaters Ichthyologists (A.I.I.A.D.) of which GC was a member of the Board, in the two-year period 2013-14
TEACHING
GC has carried out university teaching, continuously since the academic year 2001-02 to date, for a total of he 10 courses and 234 ECTS.
PhD AND MASTER BOARD MEMBER
2013 to present - PhD in Evolutionary Biology and Ecology of the Universities of Ferrara, Parma and Florence.
2012-13 - PhD in Evolutionary and Environmental Biology of the University of Ferrara.
2009-12 - member of the Steering Committee of the Ecopolis International Master, second level international master in environmental and territorial policies for sustainability and local development.
INSTITUTIONAL COMMITMENTS
2015 to date scientific advisor for the Emilia-Romagna Po Delta Park, as extra-institutional assignment (Article 4, letter I, of the University of Ferrara Regulation)
2012 to date Member of the Emilia Romagna Regional Fisheries Board
2016 to date Member of the Board of the FLAG (Fisheries Local Action Group) of Emilia-Romagna
2009 to date Coordinator of Research Unit 6 "Sustainable management of agricultural and aquatic ecosystems” of the Terra & AcquaTech Laboratory of the Research Hub of the University of Ferrara, an industrial research laboratory of the High Technology Network of Emilia-Romagna (POR FESR 2007-2013 and 2014-2020)
2013-2018 Vice-coordinator of the Terra & AcquaTech Laboratory of the Research Hub of the University of Ferrara
2003- 2016 Member of the Provincial Fisheries Board of Ferrara.
APPOINMENTS
1999-2008: technician at the Department of Biology and Evolution, University of Ferrara.
2008-2014: University researcher in Ecology at the Department of Life Sciences and Biotechnology of the University of Ferrara
2014 to date: Associate Professor in Ecology at the Department of Life Sciences and Biotechnology of the University of Ferrara.
2018: National Scientific Qualification as full professor in Ecology.
EDUCATION
1992: Degree in Biological Sciences, University of Ferrara (110/110 cum laude)
1997: PhD in Ecology, IX Cycle, University of Parma
1997-1998: post-doctoral fellowship at the University of Parma, within the Nitrogen Cycling in Estuaries Project (NICE, MAS3-CT96-0048)
RESEARCH INTERESTS
The experiences gained during the doctoral and postdoc studies in several laboratories in the United States and Europe were fundamental in my scientific training and particularly, the post-doc in a European project (NICE, 1996-1999), led by the Danish school of microbial ecology of the University of Aarhus.
After this training period, I started to work on two main topics, nitrogen pollution and eutrophication, with particular reference to the causes and mitigation strategies, and the ecology of fish communities. Given the complexity of both themes, I’ve always paid great attention to the creation of research groups capable of expressing a multidisciplinary approach.
The most continuous study was that of nitrogen pollution and eutrophication, declined at various levels, ranging from the dynamics and consequences of the process in lagoon environments, to the detailed analysis of the main bacterial processes that regulate it. Subsequently, in a sort of research backwards in the process of identifying the most important sources of nitrogen pollution, I studied the generation of loads from the catchment area, focusing attention on the study of the main caused of vulnerability and the main mechanisms of mitigation. The research on all these sub-topics takes advantage from a wide network of many international and national institutions.
More recent is the study of the ecology of fish communities with particular reference to the effects of the introduction of invasive alien species and eutrophication. Although apparently distant, in the fresh waters of the lowlands, the two themes are closely linked. Worldwide, the introduction of alien species is in fact the second most important cause of biodiversity loss and eutrophication is the third. What connects these two topics even more closely is their spatial location, since the ecosystems where the invasion by exotic fish species is more serious are at the same time the major hot spots of eutrophication. In this context, where native fish species are exposed to a very high risk of disappearance, very promising research concerns the countless links, often causal and potentially synergistic, between the introduction of alien fish species and eutrophication, in a scenario of climate change. The questions addressed so far, on a growing spatial scale that have affected the single river basin, the whole of Emilia-Romagna, the Padano-Vento District and the entire Italian territory, are: identification of the dynamics of exotics’ expansion and natives’ exclusion, the identification in the winning ecological traits of an invasion, and the importance of environmental parameters and eutrophication in determining the distribution patterns of fish species, both exotic and native. The role of invasive alien species on taxonomic diversity and functional diversity of the fish community was also studied. For more applicative purposes, in the same context, a functional quality index of the fish community was also developed, useful for monitoring the biological quality element "fish fauna" (Water Framework Directive and Italian Legislative Decree 152/06), and a parametric method for defining intervention priorities for the recovery of native fish populations. My group on the ecology of fish fauna works in connection with numerous international research institutions.
An expansion of the study of the effects of pollution on fish fauna has focused on endocrine interference and loss of reproductive fitness by native fish populations. In particular, the effects on organs, tissues and genes of perfluorinated compounds, and in particular of perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) on protected and / or fishery fish species, were studied. Since 2010, GC has contributed to several studies on parasites of protected fish species and species of interest for fishing.
RESEARCH PRODUCTION
The research activity carried out by GC in recent years has led to the publication of 131 ISI (WoS and / or Scopus) papers, 121 are of which full-length research articles.
EDITORIAL AND REVIEWING ACTIVITY
GC is academic editor of the journals Sustainability and Water (MDPI) and active reviewer for 20 journals.
COORDINATION AND PARTICIPATION TO RESEARCH PROJECTS
In the last 12 years, GC has been scientific coordinator of projects and/or research units in 34 projects, of which 7 (2 Interreg Europe, 1 Life and 4 regional projects) are still ongoing.
From 1997-2009, GC took part, as a member of a research unit, in 17 multi-year projects of international, national and regional interest.
SCIENTIFIC SOCIETIES MEMBERSHIP
1997 to present - Italian Society of Ecology (S.It.E.)
2008 to present - World Sturgeon Conservation Society (WSCS)
2012 to present - Italian Association of Freshwaters Ichthyologists (A.I.I.A.D.) of which GC was a member of the Board, in the two-year period 2013-14
TEACHING
GC has carried out university teaching, continuously since the academic year 2001-02 to date, for a total of he 10 courses and 234 ECTS.
PhD AND MASTER BOARD MEMBER
2013 to present - PhD in Evolutionary Biology and Ecology of the Universities of Ferrara, Parma and Florence.
2012-13 - PhD in Evolutionary and Environmental Biology of the University of Ferrara.
2009-12 - member of the Steering Committee of the Ecopolis International Master, second level international master in environmental and territorial policies for sustainability and local development.
INSTITUTIONAL COMMITMENTS
2015 to date scientific advisor for the Emilia-Romagna Po Delta Park, as extra-institutional assignment (Article 4, letter I, of the University of Ferrara Regulation)
2012 to date Member of the Emilia Romagna Regional Fisheries Board
2016 to date Member of the Board of the FLAG (Fisheries Local Action Group) of Emilia-Romagna
2009 to date Coordinator of Research Unit 6 "Sustainable management of agricultural and aquatic ecosystems” of the Terra & AcquaTech Laboratory of the Research Hub of the University of Ferrara, an industrial research laboratory of the High Technology Network of Emilia-Romagna (POR FESR 2007-2013 and 2014-2020)
2013-2018 Vice-coordinator of the Terra & AcquaTech Laboratory of the Research Hub of the University of Ferrara
2003- 2016 Member of the Provincial Fisheries Board of Ferrara.
