Stanford University | United States
Prof. Fiorenza Micheli is an eminent marine ecologist whose research centers on the processes shaping marine communities and coastal social-ecological systems, with a focus on applying this understanding to marine conservation and co-designing sustainable solutions with policymakers and local communities. Her extensive work investigates climatic impacts-such as warming, hypoxia, and ocean acidification-on marine ecosystems, the resilience of social-ecological systems, predator ecology, trophic cascades, small-scale fisheries sustainability, and the design and function of Marine Protected Areas. She has authored or co-authored over 314 peer-reviewed publications, including papers in Science, Nature, Nature Climate Change, PNAS, and The Lancet, accumulating 49,709 citations and an H-index of 94 (Google Scholar). Prof. Micheli has mentored over 30 postdoctoral fellows, 80 graduate students, and 100 undergraduates, and currently leads a dynamic research group at Hopkins Marine Station and the Center for Ocean Solutions. A Pew Fellow in Marine Conservation, Fellow of the California Academy of Sciences, and past President of the Western Society of Naturalists, she has secured major grants from the NSF, EPA, NOAA, and private foundations for large interdisciplinary projects. Her leadership extends to global marine governance, serving as Co-Chair of the UN Ocean Decade Program GEOS, board member of Ocean Visions, and advisor to organizations such as WWF, Seafood Watch, and the Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary. Widely recognized as one of the Top Italian Scientists, Prof. Micheli’s contributions bridge science, policy, and outreach, with her research and perspectives featured by major international media outlets including CNN, BBC, The New York Times, and RAI.
Featured Publications
"Global floating kelp forests have limited protection despite intensifying marine heatwave threats", Nature Communications, 2025.
"From Data Deficient to Big Data in Shark Conservation", Fish and Fisheries, 2025.
"Short and long-term exposure to ocean acidification in limpets from the Castello Aragonese vent systems (Ischia Island, Italy)", Environmental Research, 2025.
"Governing access and agency: cooperative and non-cooperative forms influence small-scale fisher livelihood vulnerability and adaptation", Ecology and Society, 2025.
"Recovery mode: Marine protected areas enhance climate resilience of invertebrate species to marine heatwaves", Functional Ecology, 2025.