Ennas Claudia

Curriculum vitae

Claudia received her Bachelor’s degree in Biology in 2016 from the University of Cagliari, with a thesis entitled “Control methods of Coypu (Myocastor coypus – Molina, 1782) and environmental protection in the river basin of the Cagliari Province”, supervised by Prof. Elisabetta Coluccia. The thesis was focused on the coypu, one of the 100 most invasive alien species worldwide according to the International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN). This rodent has been introduced in Sardinia since 1984 and in Claudia’s thesis she analysed and compared two containment methodologies for the coypu: an Eradication Plan and a Control Plan. In particular, she took part in the operational phase of the project funded by the Province of Cagliari which wanted to study the most visible environmental impacts of coypus both on the plant and animal species in the Natural Park of Molentargius-Saline-Poetto.

In 2018, she earned her Master’s degree in Marine Bio-ecology with the highest honours from the University of Cagliari. The thesis entitled “Long term variations in trophic status and degradation rates of organic detritus in batial sediments of the Ross Sea (Antarctica)​” was supervised by Prof. Antonio Pusceddu. It was focused on the study of the response to climate change and their potential impact on biodiversity and the functioning of deep Antarctic benthic ecosystems. This was possible by comparing the results of the study campaign conducted between December 2016 and January 2017 (project BEDROSE, BEnthic biodiversity and ecosystem functioning of the Deep Ross Sea in a changing Southern Ocean) with those obtained between 1994 and 1995 (project ROSSMIZE, Ross Sea Marginal Ice Zone).

Her thesis focused on the study of variations in quantity, biochemical composition, nutritional quality and degradation rates of organic sediment loads in the same deep area (about 500 m) over more than twenty years (1994 -2016). The results of this thesis suggest that the ongoing climate change in the Ross Sea is significantly affecting sedimentary organic matter, with plausible and predictable consequences on the structure and functioning of benthic food webs.

After her graduation she followed a Practical Course by Simona Maccherini (University of Siena) about “Vegetal ecology: monitoring theory and technics” and then she passed the Italian state examination for the profession of Biologist.

In 2019 she obtained the role of Coadjutor for the census of Sardinian hare (Lepus capensis mediterraneus) and partridge (Alectoris barbara) and she is registered in the official register of the metropolitan city of Cagliari.

She is currently a PhD student in the PhD Program in Life, Environmental and Drug Science, under the supervision of Prof. Antonio Pusceddu. Her work focuses on the study of ecological effects of climate change in Mediterranean benthic marine and lagoon systems.

Publications

POSTER, Title: “Possible shifts in quantity and biochemical composition of sedimentary organic matter in the deep Ross Sea (Antarctica) 20 years after ROSSMIZE”

Pusceddu A., Cau A. , Ennas C. , Moccia D. , Danovaro R.. XXIV Congress of Italian Association of Oceanography and Limnology – Bologna. 5-7 June 2019