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Welcome to the Sperone Laboratory

Past & Present Fundings

CESPES-BIO (CEntro Sudi della PEsca Sostenibile, del monitoraggio e conservazione della BIOdiversità marina), PO FEAMP CALABRIA 2014/2020

CIRPES (Creazione di isole di ripopolamento per la pesca sostenibile lungo le coste dell’alto Tirreno cosentino), PO FEAMP CALABRIA 2014/2020

AVAM-AZA (INDIVIDUAZIONE PRELIMINARE DI AREE A VOCAZIONE PER IMPIANTI DI ACQUACOLTURA MARINA – AZA), PO FEAMP CALABRIA 2014/2020

DEEP-MED (Deep-sea Elasmobranchs as Environmental Pollution sentinels in the MEDiterranean), PIANO NAZIONALE DI RIPRESA E RESILIENZA (PNRR) – MISSIONE 4 COMPONENTE 2 INVESTIMENTO 1.1 – “Fondo per il Programma Nazionale della Ricerca (PNR) e Progetti di Ricerca di Rilevante Interesse Nazionale (PRIN)”.

METALCAVE (Are facultative cave species drivers of metal contaminants into subterranean environments?), PIANO NAZIONALE DI RIPRESA E RESILIENZA

(PNRR) – MISSIONE 4 COMPONENTE 2 INVESTIMENTO 1.1 – “Fondo per il Programma Nazionale della Ricerca (PNR) e Progetti di Ricerca di Rilevante Interesse Nazionale (PRIN)”.

Emilio Sperone is a zoologist and Associate Professor at the University of Calabria, Department of Biology, Ecology and Earth Sciences. Emilio’s research covers many aspects of the biology, ecology, behaviour and conservation of amphibians, reptiles and marine vertebrates, in particular elasmobranchs, bony fish and cetaceans. His laboratory has research projects currently underway in the Mediterranean basin, Mexico, South Africa, Madagascar. The research group employs a variety of tools such as visual surveys, drone and BRUVS video, diet analysis, trace elements accumulation, parasites analysis, photo-identification.

Emilio collaborates with numerous scientists and institutions: dr Marco Zuffi(University of Pisa, Italy), dr Primo Micarelli and Francesca Romana Reinero (Centro Studi Squali, Italy), prof.Annalisa Zaccaroni(University of Bologna, Italy), prof. Fausto Tinti(University of Bologna, Italy), dr Massimiliano Bottaro(Stazione Zoologica “A. Dohrn”, Italy), prof. Olga Mangoni and dr Francesco Bolinesi(University of Naples “Federico II”, Italy), prof. Donato Giovannelli(University of Naples “Federico II”, Italy), prof. Felipe Galván-Magaña (CICIMAR, Mexico), prof. Uwe Fritz(Museum für Tierkunde of Dresden, Germany).

Emilio is currently Associate Editor for the journal European Zoological Journal (IF 31,6). He has been also Guest Editor for the special issue “New Perspectives in elasmobranch research: from biology to management and conservation”, edited by the European Zoological Journal (IF 1,6).

In addition to the scientific research, the laboratory is dedicated to community outreach and public education. The activities of the laboratory have been publicized widely in the media.