I am a reader in Behavioural Ecology at the University of Salford. Actually, I am more than this. I consider myself primarily a behavioural ecologist. I have a strong theoretical background in animal behaviour, ecology and evolution augmented by well-grounded empirical experience mainly with crustaceans and fish. I enjoy working with aquatic organisms and I am fascinated by the evolution of animal mating systems and strategies. I am particularly interested in sequential hermaphroditism (sex-change). I am convinced that a deep knowledge of animal behaviours and mating strategies is fundamental in any program of conservation and management of biodiversity, including sustainable aquaculture. I am also investigating patterns of sex allocation/sex ratios, sex determining mechanisms and intersexual conflicts.

Also, as it is becoming more and more evident that anthropogenic changes are affecting behaviours and reproduction in many species, I try to understand the effects of contaminants and acoustic pollution in aquatic organisms and to assess what behavioural changes can be used as biomarkers of stressors (behavioural eco-toxicology). I study colour change because it is an incredible adaptation. I am also interested in invasion biology (allochthonous crayfish in Europe; prawns in India and Brazil; marine Lessepsian fish in the Mediterranean Sea).

My experience in the field and in the lab convinced me that the investigation of behavioural, conservation and evolutionary problems is most productive when empirical studies are directly tied to specific theory. I value an integrated approach and I try to link, in my projects, theory with field observations, manipulative experiments, modelling, phylogeny, molecular techniques (including metabarcoding and eDNA) and now... even drones!