Dr Giancarlo Lauriano

Affiliation

Italian Institute for Environmental Protection and Research – ISPRA
Marine Habitats and Biodiversity Protection Department
Via Brancati, 48 - 00144 Roma
Italy
e-mail: giancarlo.lauriano@isprambiente.it
ISPRA website

Research interests

Giancarlo is a zoologist by training. In the mid-eighties he started to work with cetaceans in the Mediterranean Sea focussing on management and conservation issues. Giancarlo is a member of the IWC scientific committee and the vice chair IWC-SORP Scientific Steering Committee. His expertise spans the Mediterranean Sea, Atlantic and Pacific areas and the Antarctic.

Giancarlo’s current roles include:

  • Head of the Italian delegation at the annual scientific committee meetings of the International Whaling Commission.
  • Head of the Italian delegation of the Scientific and Technical Committee of International Sanctuary Sanctuary for Mediterranean Marine Mammals (Pelagos Sanctuary).
  • Member of the Steering Committee and national contact point for the ACCOBAMS Survey Initiative (ASI)
  • Coordinator for the Marine Strategy Framework Directive for Italy

Giancarlo’s research interests are focused on cetacean abundance, distribution, interaction with human activities and habitat preferences. In the Ross Sea he studies killer whale distribution and movement patterns using telemetry and photo-identification.

Selected publications

Pitman R.L., Durban J.W., Joyce T., Fearnbach H., Panigada S., Lauriano G. (In press) Skin in the Game: Epidermal molt as a driver of long-distance migration in whales. Marine Mammal Science.

Mannocci L., Roberts J.J., Halpin P.N., Authier M., Boisseau O., Bradai M.N., Canadas A., Carla Chicote C., David L., Di-Meglio N., Frantzis, A., Gazo M., Genov T., Hammond P., Holcer D., Kaschner K., Kerem D., Lauriano G., Lewis T., Notarbartolo Di Sciara G., Panigada S., Raga J.A., Scheinin A., Ridoux V., Vella A., Vella J. (2018) Assessing cetacean surveys throughout the Mediterranean Sea: a gap analysis in environmental space" Scientific Reports (reference number: SREP-17-33967)

Gonzalvo, J., Lauriano, G., Hammond, P.S., Viaud-Martinez, K.A., Fossi, M.C., Natoli A., Marsili, L. (2016) The Gulf of Ambracia's common bottlenose dolphins, Tursiops truncatus: A highly dense and yet threatened population. In: Giuseppe Notarbartolo Di Sciara, Michela Podesta and Barbara E. Curry (Eds.). Advances in Marine Biology, Vol. 75, Oxford: Academic Press, 2016, pp. 259-296. ISBN: 978-0-12-805152-8

Panigada S., Lauriano G., Donovan G., Pierantonio N., Canadas A., Vazquez J.A., Burt, L. (2017) Estimating cetacean density and abundance in the central Mediterranean Sea through aerial surveys: implications for conservation. Deep Sea Research Part II 141:41-58.

Lauriano G., Pierantonio N., Kell L., Canadas A., Donovan G., Panigada S. (2017) Fishery independent surface abundance and density estimates of swordfish (Xiphias gladius) from aerial surveys in the Central Mediterranean Sea. Deep Sea Research Part II 141:102-114.

Panigada S., Donovan G.P., Druon J.N., Lauriano G., Pierantonio N., Pirotta E., Zanardelli M.,Zerbini, A.N., Notarbartolo di Sciara G. (2017) Satellite tagging of Mediterranean fin whales: working towards the identification of critical habitats and the focussing of mitigation measures. Scientific Report 7: 3365.

Notarbartolo di Sciara G., Lauriano G., Pierantonio N., Canadas A., Donovan G., Panigada S. (2015) The devil we don't know: investigating habitat and abundance of endangered giant devil rays in the north-western Mediterranean Sea. PLoS ONE 10 (11): e0141189. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0141189

Lauriano G., Pierantonio N., Donovan G., Panigada S. (2014) Abundance and distribution of Tursiops truncatus in the western Mediterranean Sea: an assessment towards the Marine Strategy Framework Directive requirements. Marine Environmental Research 100: 86–93 doi: 0.1016/j.marenvres.2014.04.001

Lauriano G., Panigada S., Casale P., Pierantonio N., Donovan G.P. (2011) Aerial survey abundance estimates of the loggerhead sea turtle (Caretta caretta) in the Pelagos Sanctuary, northwestern Mediterranean Sea. Marine Ecology Progress Series 437: 291-302.

Lauriano G., Fortuna M.C., Vacchi M. (2011) Occurrence of killer whales (Orcinus orca) and other cetaceans off Terra Nova Bay, Ross Sea, Antarctica. Antarctic Science 23(2): 139-143.

Panigada S., Lauriano G., Burt L., Pierantonio N., Donovan G. (2011) Monitoring winter and summer abundance of cetaceans in the Pelagos Sanctuary (Northwestern Mediterranean Sea) through aerial surveys. PLoS ONE 6(7): e22878. Doi:10.1371/journalpone.0022878

Lauriano G., Fortuna C.M., Vacchi, M. (2007) Observation of killer whale (Orcinus orca) possibly eating penguins in Terra Nova Bay, Antarctica. Antarctic Science 19(1): 95–96.

Lauriano G., Vacchi M., Ainley D., Ballard, G. (2007) Observations of top predators foraging in fish in the pack ice of the southern Ross Sea. Antarctic Science 19 (4): 439-440.

This page was last updated on 19 November 2019