Francesca Porri
Scientist
Zoology and Entomology
Rhodes University
South Africa
Biography
"Marine systems, especially the interface between the benthic and pelagic environment, are the core of my research, but the theoretical and applied questions related to my studies are fundamental issues of general ecology and conservation of biodiversity. My research incorporates organismal-, community- and ecosystem- based approaches in a range of systems, from mangroves to sandy beaches, from estuaries to coastal and on key exploited resources critical for their role in biodiversity. My primary research focus is the early life-history processes that influence invertebrate population dynamics, to which I have started to incorporate multidisciplinary quantitative approaches to identify which life history stages respond to environmental change in such a way as to have the greatest consequences for population dynamics. A central component of my research is larval connectivity and its influence on population dynamics. Investigating processes like larval dispersal and recruitment into adult populations is fundamental for making predictions on population resilience and response to human driven change."
Research Interest
"Marine invertebrate behaviour Mangrove and intertidal ecology Ecological processes associated with mussel beds"
Publications
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Porri F, McQuaid CD, Radloff S (2006) Spatio-temporal variability of larval abundance and settlement of Perna perna: differential delivery of mussels. Marine Ecol Progress Series 315: 141-150.
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Zardi GI, Nicastro KR, McQuaid CD, Rius M, Porri F (2006) Hydrodynamic stress and habitat partitioning between indigenous (Perna perna) and invasive (Mytilus galloprovincialis) mussels: constraints of an evolutionary strategy. Marine Biol 150: 79-88.
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Pineda J, Porri F, Starczak V, Blythe J (2010) Causes of decoupling between larval supply and settlement and consequences for understanding recruitment and population connectivity. J Exp Marine Biol Ecol 392: 9-21.
