Born in Forli, Italy, March 29, 1970. Degree in Marine Environmental Science at the University of Bologna in 1996 and Ph.D. in Ecology at the University of Parma in 2001, expert in ecology of benthic soft and hard bottoms, natural and artificial reefs, and techniques of underwater scientific research at the Interdepartmental Research Centre for Environmental Sciences (CIRSA) University of Bologna in Ravenna, where he is employed as a research manager. He is co-author of 7 books and numerous articles, both popular and scientific (13 with impact factor) and referee for 5 international journals. He has done scientific diving in different parts of the Mediterranean and tropical seas. Within several collaborative research projects with Italian institutes and international research centres including: Centre for Estuarine and Marine Ecology (NIOO-KNAW, NL), Institute of Oceanography (HCMR, GR), Institute of Marine Biology of Crete ( HCMR, GR), Institute of Oceanology of the Bulgarian Academy of Sciences (Varna, BG), Fisheries Research Institute of Kavala (GR), Ruder Boskovic Institute in Rovinj (HR), Marine Biology and Ecology Research Centre in Plymouth (UK) Natural History Museum of London (UK). He is a member of the Italian Society of Ecology (S.It.E.), the Italian Society of Marine Biology (SIBM), the National Interuniversity Consortium for Marine Sciences (CoNISMa), Reef Check Italy association (RCI) and Estuarine and Coastal Sciences Association (ECSA). Collaborates in teaching courses on "Methodology of Research Diving" for the degree course in Marine Biology, University of Bologna , and "Scientific Diving Methods for the degree course in Marine Biology Polytechnic University of Marche and of course. Teaching in the master "Tropical Marine Biodiversity and Natural Products", held in 2007 and 2008 in Manado , Indonesia . Active diver since 1992 (M3 FIAS / CMAS), Director of Bologna Technical Centre of the Italian Federation of Underwater Activities from 1999 to 2008. Among the specialties: cave diving, high altitude and under the ice.