Latest Academic Works
Ecological modelling of the phytoplankton community in the northern Adriatic sea
This dissertation examines the ecological dynamics of phytoplankton communities in the northern Adriatic Sea, focusing on phenology, environmental drivers, and trophodynamics. The complexity of the region, characterized by the richness of phytoplankton communities, environmental variability and intensive human activities, is not seen as an obstacle but as an opportunity to …
Tracing mercury in the wider Idrija region using stable isotopes
Mercury, a toxic element, known for its physical and chemical properties, spreads throughout the environment and is found in various ecosystems, including water, air, soil, and biological systems. The natural mercury cycle begins beneath the earth's crust, where it rises to the surface and is released into the air through …
Diversity, ecology and sensing of the toxic diatom Pseudo-Nitzschia in the Gulf of Trieste: doctoral disertation
This work focuses on a group of diatoms, belonging to the genus Pseudo-nitzschia, which is a globally important phytoplankton genus. Some species of the genus produce the toxin domoic acid, which is responsible for shellfish intoxication known as the amnesic shellfish poisoning (ASP). These diatoms have few morphological features that …