Partners

CONSIGLIO NAZIONALE DELLE RICERCHE (CNR)

The Institute for Marine Biological Resources and Biotechnologies (IRBIM) is one of the marine research institutes of the Italian National Research Council (CNR). It focuses on applied and fundamental research on marine resources, fisheries dynamics, ecosystem functioning, and sustainable exploitation of marine biological resources. IRBIM adopts a multidisciplinary approach combining marine biology, fisheries science, technological innovation, and ecosystem-based management to support evidence-based decision-making in the fisheries sector.

Within the Sea4Future project, IRBIM is the core operational unit representing CNR and plays a central technical and leadership role. In particular, it leads Work Package 3 (WP3) on multi-scale and multi-gear innovative technologies, which is one of the main pillars of the project.

Through IRBIM, CNR is responsible for:

the development and experimental validation of innovative fishing gears, especially for bottom trawling
the reduction of unwanted bycatch, in terms of both non-commercial and undersized fraction, supporting ecosystem-based fisheries management
the improvement of energy efficiency and reduction of fuel consumption in fishing operations
the coordination and execution of field trials and at-sea experiments (notably in key use cases such as Sicily and Alicante)
the production of several core technical deliverables (e.g. D3.1–D3.3, D3.8) directly related to evaluation and validation of gear performance.

IRBIM’s role is therefore not only scientific but also strongly operational, bridging research and real-world application. Its activities directly contribute to the project’s main objective of delivering tested, scalable, and sustainable technological solutions for reducing the environmental impact of fisheries.

Meet the Team

Michele Luca Geraci - Is a marine biologist and fisheries scientist dedicated to sustainable marine resource management in the Mediterranean Sea. His research focuses heavily on mitigating fishing impacts on ecosystems, reducing bycatch, and conserving vulnerable species like elasmobranchs. By bridging pure science and practical management, Dr. Geraci develops innovative, low-impact fishing technologies. He utilizes long-term trawl survey data to evaluate stock dynamics, fishery collapses, and fleet economics. Additionally, he documents marine biodiversity, tracking alien, rare, and non-indigenous species in the Strait of Sicily to monitor shifting ecosystem trends.

ORCID

Sergio Vitale – Expert in marine ecology and fisheries science, with a focus on sustainable resource use, energy‑efficient fishing technologies, and the decarbonisation of Mediterranean fleets. His work integrates historical‑ecological analysis and digital monitoring tools to support modern fisheries management.

ORCID

Fabio Fiorentino - Specialist in biology and ecology of fishery resources and strategies for the sustainable exploitation of marine renewable resources. Responsible of research projects on fishery data collection, stock assessment and management in the Mediterranean Sea.

ORCID

Fabio Falsone - Fisheries scientist primarily focused on fisheries assessment and management in the Mediterranean Sea, with expertise in quantitative and modelling approaches. Actively involved in the development of low-impact fishing technologies and international advisory processes.

ORCID

Vita Gancitano - Fisheries scientist primarily focused on demersal resource biology and biological data processing, assessment and management of main target species in the Strait of Sicily. I’m also involved in monitoring bycatch and on the biology, reproduction and age and growth of elasmobranchs.

ORCID

Germana Garofalo - Marine scientist with expertise in Species Distribution Modelling, Essential Fish Habitat identification, and population connectivity, aimed at supporting ecosystem-based fisheries management and marine spatial planning.

Monica Calabrò – Marine ecologist and CNR-IRBIM researcher, specialised in trophic ecology, ecosystem functioning, climate change impacts, biodiversity conservation, and sustainable management of Mediterranean marine resources.

ORCID

Valentina Lauria - PhD, Researcher at IRBIM CNR & Marine EcologistExpert in numerical ecology, spatial analyses, species distribution modeling, and habitat mapping. Her research focuses on marine species and communities, analyzing their spatial structures, environmental relationships, and human impacts, such as fishing pressures.Recently, she has modeled and mapped vulnerable marine ecosystems in the Mediterranean Sea to support conservation planning. She has contributed to several key European and national projects (including CHARM 2, NEPHROPS, MERP-IMMERSE, DECCMA, RITMARE) addressing spatial planning, species distribution limits, and climate change impacts on marine productivity. Notably, she served as Principal Investigator for the international project MADAMES (2016-2020).

ORCID

Daniela Massi - Technologist at IRBIM-CNR in Mazara del Vallo (Trapani, Italy) and Marine Biologist. She specializes in the biology and systematics of cephalopods, the systematics of benthic mega-invertebrates of soft bottoms, and the diet analysis of teleosts and cephalopods. She is an official member of the taxonomist team registered by the CNR. Furthermore, she has authored numerous scientific papers in national and international journals, as well as technical reports on the biodiversity and biology of Mediterranean marine species.

Andrea Fanelli - Project management specialist at CNR-IRBIM, coordinating Interreg, LIFE, PNRA and ERA-NET programmes, funding reporting, proposal development, and personal data protection activities.