XXXIX CICLO | Berardi Beatrice

I am a biologist specialized in biodiversity and ecosystems management. I worked a lot in the field dealing with large carnivores in the Alps and migratory birds in the Mediterranean islands. I have a great passion for seabirds, starting from their physiology up to their behavioral and ecological aspects. My purpose is to contribute with my research to deepen the knowledge on these magnificent animals and ultimately to protect their populations and the oceans and seas in which they live.

The phenomenon of aging – the decrease in fitness components of an organism with increasing age due to internal physiological deterioration – has fascinated evolutionary biologists for more than a century. Avian aging is of great interest since they can live longer than mammals of equivalent size despite their “cost of living” (in metabolic terms). At present, there are still many gaps in understanding the proximate and ultimate mechanisms of aging in this class, especially about the transgenerational effects, immunology, and behaviour. Thus, the aim of this PhD project is to contribute to unveil the secrets of avian aging by studying seabirds, a group of birds with unique ecological features: exceptional longevity, low aging rates and late decline in reproductive activity. Our research will be conducted in Linosa Island (Sicilian channel, Mediterranean Sea) on Scopoli’s shearwater (Calonectris diomedea), a pelagic long-distance migrant that lives up to 25-30 years and breeds every year in Mediterranean islands. We will collect blood samples from old and young breeders and their chicks, to study age-related changes in physiology and genetics and to evaluate if and how aging can be inherited from parents to offspring. We will also study age-related changes in behavioural aspects.

• Berardi, B., Bologna, M. A., & Bassano, B. (2022). Ungulates and mesocarnivores temporal responses to wolf exposure: a case study on the ecology of fear in Gran Paradiso National Park. Hystrix Ital. J. Mamm, 33, 187-192.