Chiara Papetti

My main research interest is the evolution of Antarctic fish and their conservation. My present research is focused on the effects of present and past climate changes in terms of population and species differentiation, for the potential outcomes of secondary contacts among Antarctic icefish species. I and my research team are investigating these aspects by analyzing genome-wide genetic variability.

I am also studying the effects of climate change and exploitation in marine organisms as potential perturbations of life history traits. This is a challenging yet very exciting new research line for me, and it fulfills my interests in combining my passion for molecular ecology of marine organisms, in particular Antarctic fish, and the need to provide multidisciplinary and complete background information for sound management and conservation of marine resources in terms of biodiversity, populations and abundance.

Current research projects / interests:

• the impact of climate change at interspecific level with a particular focus on potential outcomes of secondary contacts among Antarctic icefish species and their species limits;
• population connectivity of Antarctic fish between the Antarctic Peninsula and the Weddell Sea;
• mitochondrial genome evolution and functionality in Antarctic fish.