https://oceanexpert.org/expert/Anita%20Franco

ORCID : 0000-0001-9444-0047

PhD

Research
Other

Biological Oceanography, Marine Ecology
Fisheries, Aquaculture

Research, consultancy and advice on all matters related with marine ecology, experimental design, ecological statistics and modelling, ecological impact and risk assessment, with particular interest on the ecology of estuarine and marine fish communities.

In my current position I am responsible for managing research projects and provide scientific and technical advice to statutory bodies (e.g., Natural England, the Environment Agency, Marine Management Organisation) and the industry on the status and condition of marine/estuarine ecological features of interest (including fish and shellfish, their essential habitats, fishery, but also benthic ecology and avifauna), on the ecological value of marine habitats in support of marine planning programmes and on the potential risks and impacts to the marine environment of a range of human activities and pressures, including offshore wind farms, port developments, gas storage facilities, climate change. 

I am currently involved in the Horizon 2020 EU project CERES (Climate change and European aquatic RESources, 2016-2020), contributing to the assessment of impacts of climate change on fishery and aquaculture resources and industry sectors, and managing the contribution for the University of Hull. I have also been involved in other EU projects, including DEVOTES (Developing innovative tools to understand marine biodiversity and good environmental status, FP7), TIDE (Tidal River Development, FP7), and WISER (Water bodies in Europe: Integrative Systems to assess Ecological status and Recovery, FP7). 

Inner Seas off the West Coast of Scotland
Irish Sea and St. George's Channel
English Channel
Celtic Sea
North Sea

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English Italian

Google Scholar
ResearchGate

I am an ecologist with expertise on estuarine and marine fish communities. 

My core research has focused on the functional assessment of estuarine and marine fish, their use and partitioning of resources, their occurrence and distribution in relation with habitat characteristics and human pressures (incl. modelling of essential fish habitats offshore), and their assessment using fish-based indicators of ecological/environmental status. 

As a quantitative ecologist, I have developed experimental designs, undertaken statistical analysis and modelling of estuarine and marine ecological data, also on other ecological components (e.g. estuarine birds, seabirds, benthic communities). I have been involved in a range of studies relying on the application of statistical methods including for example the spatial modelling of essential fish habitats in marine areas, the environmental impact assessment of offshore windfarms on marine ecology (including fish, shellfish, invertebrates, habitats), the analysis on the invertebrate colonisation patterns in restored habitats, and time series analysis and habitat distribution modelling of bird data in the Humber and other European estuaries. I have provided advice on the standardisation, robustness and cost effectiveness of ecological monitoring design and techniques.

My research experience is documented by 29 publications in peer reviewed international journals and several other publications in books, etc., with presentations given to scientific audiences at international conferences, clients and stakeholders. I have reviewed manuscripts for over 20 peer-reviewed international journals, am an Associate Editor of Estuarine Coastal and Shelf Sciences and an elected council member of the Estuarine and Coastal Sciences Association (ECSA).