Periodic Reporting for period 2 - MEDIX (Marine Environmental DynamIcs and seX-based analysis for climate change adaptation in marine spatial planning)
Reporting period: 2022-12-28 to 2023-12-27
Marine spatial planning (MSP) is expanding worldwide, changing the use of up to 20% of the surface of the planet. So far, the approach used for MSP has been very static, only picturing the current situation at sea, with difficulties in projecting visions and adapting to future conditions. Dynamic issues such as climate change that can differently affect marine organisms because of sex-based responses, are still ignored. The inclusion of environmental variability and sex-based analysis in MSP remains challenging, because sex was still overlooked in biological studies and because existing methods and tools were not able to address dynamics effectively. Although integrating sex into research design and analysis has produced new insights and solutions in biomedicine, artificial intelligence, and other disciplines, this has yet to occur for marine biology and MSP.
The Marie Skłodowska Curie Action MEDIX “Marine Environmental DynamIcs and seX based analysis for climate change adaptation in marine spatial planning” looked at addressing climate change adaptation in marine areas through a novel approach to MSP that incorporated for the first time dynamic environmental changes and built on a sex-based analysis. Objectives of MEDIX have been to i) to study how biological sex influences biological mechanisms at multiple levels of biological organization (ie, organismal, population, and community levels), ii) to understand how climate induced changes will affect the capacity of marine systems to provide ecosystem services, and iii) to explore strategies for a dynamic climate change adaptation in MSP. I developed MEDIX through the collaboration between CNR ISMAR and Stanford University, USA, where I spent two years as a Visiting Scholar.
The Marie Skłodowska Curie Action MEDIX “Marine Environmental DynamIcs and seX based analysis for climate change adaptation in marine spatial planning” looked at addressing climate change adaptation in marine areas through a novel approach to MSP that incorporated for the first time dynamic environmental changes and built on a sex-based analysis. Objectives of MEDIX have been to i) to study how biological sex influences biological mechanisms at multiple levels of biological organization (ie, organismal, population, and community levels), ii) to understand how climate induced changes will affect the capacity of marine systems to provide ecosystem services, and iii) to explore strategies for a dynamic climate change adaptation in MSP. I developed MEDIX through the collaboration between CNR ISMAR and Stanford University, USA, where I spent two years as a Visiting Scholar.
Although the global pandemic hardly impacted on my mobility plans, I was able to respond and adjust the research plan to achieve MEDIX objectives. Work was conducted through 5 Work Packages (WPs).
WP1 comprised qualitative and quantitative research about sex analysis for biological research that yielded 2 journal publications and other 3 underway. I have found that sex broadly affects the morphology, physiology, behavior, and distribution of organisms and population across taxa. I have also found how sex and climate change interacts in the response mechanisms of species and communities. Finally, I have conceptualized how sex can influence species interactions bringing examples from kelp forest ecosystems. To facilitate future integration of sex into marine biological research, I also synthesized current approaches, discussed methodological and logistical challenges, and laid out guidelines for future research.
WP2 was devoted to, a scenario analysis for identifying climate refugia in areas providing ecosystem services across future climate projections, and this led to two publications underway . I analyzed the change in species and functional diversity in five future scenarios at year 2050 and 2100 and for three projections of climate change (moderate, intermediate, and severe). I focused on marine megafauna (mammals, sharks and rays, bony fish, reptiles) in the Northeastern Pacific, and analyzed available data for the Mediterranean Sea. By analyzing the shift in functional diversity affecting ecosystem functioning I have identified areas with persistent ecosystem services provision.
WP3 drafted the baseline knowledge about priority species and habitat of conservation to apply the analysis in the Mediterranean, and drafted guidelines for climate-smart marine spatial planning. These research activities led to 3 journal publications and one underway.
In WP5, for the two-way training, I attended 2 graduate courses at Stanford Univ (7 units in total) plus 5 training workshops and more than 30 seminars, workshops, and multi-day conferences. I was invited to 10 international conferences and workshops, and attended 8 international conferences. I was invited to be part of the Editorial Board of npj Ocean Sustainability Journal, and I was Guest Editor in two Journals’ collections.
In WP6 was devoted to disseminating and communicating MEDIX results. I have based a series of co-learning activities on the innovative work about sex analysis in biological research with researchers at CNR ISMAR and with students, and communicated the results to promote a wider understanding and development of science towards gendered innovations taking part to the European Researchers’ Nights in 2022 and 2023. I have also worked with school students to improve their learning skills about climate change and the ocean. The modelling activities developed in WP2-3 supported the elaboration of the Marine Spatial Plans for Italy, whose first version was released in September 2022 for public consultation.
WP1 comprised qualitative and quantitative research about sex analysis for biological research that yielded 2 journal publications and other 3 underway. I have found that sex broadly affects the morphology, physiology, behavior, and distribution of organisms and population across taxa. I have also found how sex and climate change interacts in the response mechanisms of species and communities. Finally, I have conceptualized how sex can influence species interactions bringing examples from kelp forest ecosystems. To facilitate future integration of sex into marine biological research, I also synthesized current approaches, discussed methodological and logistical challenges, and laid out guidelines for future research.
WP2 was devoted to, a scenario analysis for identifying climate refugia in areas providing ecosystem services across future climate projections, and this led to two publications underway . I analyzed the change in species and functional diversity in five future scenarios at year 2050 and 2100 and for three projections of climate change (moderate, intermediate, and severe). I focused on marine megafauna (mammals, sharks and rays, bony fish, reptiles) in the Northeastern Pacific, and analyzed available data for the Mediterranean Sea. By analyzing the shift in functional diversity affecting ecosystem functioning I have identified areas with persistent ecosystem services provision.
WP3 drafted the baseline knowledge about priority species and habitat of conservation to apply the analysis in the Mediterranean, and drafted guidelines for climate-smart marine spatial planning. These research activities led to 3 journal publications and one underway.
In WP5, for the two-way training, I attended 2 graduate courses at Stanford Univ (7 units in total) plus 5 training workshops and more than 30 seminars, workshops, and multi-day conferences. I was invited to 10 international conferences and workshops, and attended 8 international conferences. I was invited to be part of the Editorial Board of npj Ocean Sustainability Journal, and I was Guest Editor in two Journals’ collections.
In WP6 was devoted to disseminating and communicating MEDIX results. I have based a series of co-learning activities on the innovative work about sex analysis in biological research with researchers at CNR ISMAR and with students, and communicated the results to promote a wider understanding and development of science towards gendered innovations taking part to the European Researchers’ Nights in 2022 and 2023. I have also worked with school students to improve their learning skills about climate change and the ocean. The modelling activities developed in WP2-3 supported the elaboration of the Marine Spatial Plans for Italy, whose first version was released in September 2022 for public consultation.
With MEDIX I have pushed the frontiers of the integration of biological sex and sex analysis in biological research, with broad and immediate impacts in innovating research design, approaches, and methods, influencing the way we look at biological systems. My findings of the prevalence of sex-based differences across taxa and biology subfields highlight the importance of considering if and how sex can influence research design, analysis, and results. I have identified scientific challenges and outstanding questions that may be addressed through future advances in methodological approaches or theory. The methodological guidelines I have elaborated can provide a framework for researchers to approach sex analysis in biological research design. In May 2022, I was invited by Horizon2020 MINDtheGEPs consortium to present my results to 10 European Research organization from 7 EU countries in the quest to integrating sex analysis into basic and applied research to produce excellence in science, policy, and practice. Back in Italy, I was also invited by the Gender Equality Manager of CNR to support the learning activities of CNR researchers with respect of gendered innovations in life sciences.
The impact of my research on sex analysis goes well beyond research in biology and expand to conceptualizing intersectional aspects (including sex) in environmental assessment of human activities and industries. In August 2022 I was invited to the American National Science Foundation workshop on “Inclusive and Intersectional Research and Analysis in Engineering and Computer Science”, organized by Stanford University & University of Texas. I contributed to the development of a new methodology for gendered innovations for Life Cycle Assessment and Circular economy. I was also invited to expand the intersectional approach to natural and environmental sciences and technology for Intersectional Analysis for Science and Innovation in a study (in preparation) lead by Prof. Nielsen (Univ. of Copenhagen).
At policy level, I was involved in the revision and updating of the Strategic Research and Innovation Agenda of the Sustainable Blue Economy Partnership because of my expertise in gendered innovations and climate-smart MSP.
Finally, the MSCA global fellowship had a great impact on my career. In fact, after the completion of MEDIX, I was hired with a permanent position of Senior Research for exceptional merit at CNR ISMAR, Italy.
The impact of my research on sex analysis goes well beyond research in biology and expand to conceptualizing intersectional aspects (including sex) in environmental assessment of human activities and industries. In August 2022 I was invited to the American National Science Foundation workshop on “Inclusive and Intersectional Research and Analysis in Engineering and Computer Science”, organized by Stanford University & University of Texas. I contributed to the development of a new methodology for gendered innovations for Life Cycle Assessment and Circular economy. I was also invited to expand the intersectional approach to natural and environmental sciences and technology for Intersectional Analysis for Science and Innovation in a study (in preparation) lead by Prof. Nielsen (Univ. of Copenhagen).
At policy level, I was involved in the revision and updating of the Strategic Research and Innovation Agenda of the Sustainable Blue Economy Partnership because of my expertise in gendered innovations and climate-smart MSP.
Finally, the MSCA global fellowship had a great impact on my career. In fact, after the completion of MEDIX, I was hired with a permanent position of Senior Research for exceptional merit at CNR ISMAR, Italy.