I am strongly interested in applied ecology, biodiversity conservation, habitat management and conservation of endangered species. Moreover, I am interested in evolution theories, phylogeny, molecular biology, and biotechnologies. During my stage at the University of Salento, I was able to practice sampling methods and relief of abiotic parameters of water in wetlands and lagoons, and how to study and monitor a living population of a critically endangered species like Pinna nobilis, as well as to monitor a specimen of the critically endangered species Monachus monachus. I was moreover involved in an internship in the Western Italian Alps, in which I had the opportunity to learn the biology and ecology of some alpine small mammals (dormice, mice and voles), applying some trapping methods (e.g., live-trapping captures, use of nest boxes) to assess the species distribution along an altitudinal gradient.
Scientific Publications on international journals:
1) Marrocco V, Sicuro A, Zangaro F, Pinna M (2018) First record of the protected species Pinna nobilis (Linnaeus, 1758) in the Aquatina Lagoon (NATURA 2000 site IT9150003, SouthEast Italian coastline). Nature Conservation 28: 51-59. https://doi.org/10.3897/natureconservation.28.26112
2) Marrocco V, Zangaro F, Sicuro A, Pinna M (2019) A scaling down mapping of Pinna nobilis (Linnaeus, 1758) through the combination of scientific literature, NATURA 2000, grey literature and citizen science data. Nature Conservation 33: 21-31. https://doi.org/10.3897/natureconservation.33.30397
3) Bariche M, Al-mabruk S, Ate? M, Büyük A, Crocetta F, Dritsas M, Edde D, Forti? A, Gavriil E, Gerovasileiou V, Göko?lu M, Huseyinoglu F, Karachle P, Kleitou P, Terbiyik Kurt T, Langeneck J, Lardicci C, Lipej L, Pavloudi C, Pinna M, Rizgalla J, Rü?tü Özen M, Sedano F, Ta?kin E, Yildiz G, Zangaro F (2020). New Alien Mediterranean Biodiversity Records 2020. Mediterranean Marine Science 21(1): 129-145.
https://doi.org/10.12681/mms.21987
4) Zangaro F, Schifano V, Specchia V, Tzafesta E, Pinna M (2020) A new extralimital sighting of Monachus monachus (Hermann, 1779) in the Aquatina di Frigole NATURA 2000 site (IT9150003) beach (Salento peninsula, Apulia Region, Italy) after two decades: strategies for conservation are needed. Biodiversity Data Journal, 8, e53950.
https://doi.org/10.3897/BDJ.8.e53950
5) Tzafesta E, Zangaro F, Specchia V, Pinna M (2021) An Overview of DNA-Based Applications for the Assessment of Benthic Macroinvertebrates Biodiversity in Mediterranean Aquatic Ecosystems. Diversity, 13(3): 112.
https://doi.org/10.3390/d13030112
Outreach Publications:
1) Pinna M, Marrocco V, Zangaro F, Sicuro A, Giallongo G, Bizhanova N, Utebayeva G, Marini G, Specchia V (2018) Il bivalve più grande del Mediterraneo, Pinna nobilis, nella Laguna di Acquatina: indagini preliminari e prospettive. Il Bollettino, Periodico di Cultura dell’Università del Salento VIII(8/9): 1518. ISSN: 2284-0354.
http://ilbollettino.unisalento.it/index.php/bollettino/article/view/1023/954
Oral Communications:
1) Final Meeting of the IMPRECO project - Biodiversity in the Protected Areas. 2 December 2020. Aquatina di Frigole, Lecce (LE).
2) 50th anniversary of RAMSAR - Biodiversity of protected wetlands in the IMPRECO/PARES Transnational Network. 2 February 2021. Ganzirri (ME).
3) 1st International Conference DNAQUA - How many non-indigenous species occurring in the Mediterranean Sea can actually be identified through environmental DNA? A gap analysis for NIS DNA barcode in the reference libraries. March 9, 2021. France.
4) Poster #10 at the 1st DNAQUA International Conference - Gap analysis for DNA barcodes of aquatic macroinvertebrate species in the Southeast of Italy. March 9-11, 2021. France.
