About

I completed my PhD in the Coral Biomineralization and Physiology Lab of Prof. Tali Mass at the University of Haifa, Israel. My research has focused on the response of juvenile and adult corals to decreasing oceanic pH. In particular, I’ve examined the changes in physiological and morphological characteristics, and gene expression patterns in both the corals and the endosymbiotic algae, to better understand the response and vulnerability of these organisms to ocean acidification.

I’ve also studied coral phenotypic plasticity across depths and light environments, and in particular I’ve explored the changes in morphology, physiology and gene expression that enable corals to thrive across broad vertical gradients, from shallow to mesophotic reefs.

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Education

Date Degree School
2019-2023 PhD Marine Biology, University of Haifa, Israel
— Topic of research Influence of environmental stressors on the physiology, morphology and gene expression of corals, from juvenile to adult stages
2019 MSc Marine Biology, University of Bologna, Italy
— Thesis Transcriptional profiles inferring thermal stress responses of the coral Oculina patagonica compared to other Mediterranean coral species
2017-2018 Study Abroad Program One year at the University of Santa Barbara (California) as part of the Master degree program
2016 BSc Biological Sciences, University of Bologna, Italy
— Thesis Cold Water Corals Habitat Mapping
2013 High School Diploma Archimede High School, Bologna, Italy

Publications

  1. Scucchia, F., Nativ, H., Neder, M., Goodbody-Gringley, G., & Mass, T. (2020). Physiological characteristics of Stylophora pistillata larvae across a depth gradient. Frontiers in Marine Science.

  2. Martinez, S., Kolodny, Y., Shemesh, E., Scucchia, F., Nevo, R., Levin-Zaidman, S., Paltiel, Y., Keren, N., Tchernov, D. & Mass, T. (2020). Energy sources of the depth-generalist mixotrophic coral Stylophora pistillata. Frontiers in Marine Science.

  3. Scucchia, F., Malik, A., Zaslansky, P., Putnam, H. M., & Mass, T. (2021). Combined responses of primary coral polyps and their algal endosymbionts to decreasing seawater pH. Proceedings of the Royal Society B.

  4. Nativ, H., Scucchia, F., Martinez, S., Einbinder, S., Chequer, A., Goodbody-Gringley, G., & Mass, T. (2021). In situ Estimation of Coral Recruitment Patterns From Shallow to Mesophotic Reefs Using an Optimized Fluorescence Imaging System. Frontiers in Marine Science.

  5. Scucchia, F., Malik, A., Putnam, H. M., & Mass, T. (2021). Genetic and physiological traits conferring tolerance to ocean acidification in mesophotic corals. Global Change Biology.

  6. Goodbody-Gringley, G., Scucchia, F., Ju, R., Chequer, A., S., Einbinder, Martinez, S., Nativ, H., & Mass, T. (2021). Plasticity of Porites astreoides Early Life History Stages Suggests Mesophotic Coral Ecosystems Act as Refugia in Bermuda. Frontiers in Marine Science.

  7. Scucchia, F., Sauer, K., Zaslansky, P., & Mass, T. (2022). Artificial Intelligence as a Tool to Study the 3D Skeletal Architecture in Newly Settled Coral Recruits: Insights into the Effects of Ocean Acidification on Coral Biomineralization. Journal of Marine Science and Engineering.

  8. Chille, E.E., Strand, E., Scucchia, F., Neder, M., Schmidt, V., Sherman, M.O., Mass, T., & Putnam, H.M. Energetics but not development is impacted in coral embryos exposed to ocean acidification. Journal of Experimental Biology, 225(19), jeb243187.

Presentations and Awards

Talks

  • 2021 - F. Scucchia, A. Malik, P. Zaslansky, H. M. Putnam, T. Mass_ Response of Stylophora pistillata primary polyps to decreasing seawater pH. PSB 2021: Bioinformatics of Corals Workshop.
  • 2021 - F. Scucchia, A. Malik, P. Zaslansky, H. M. Putnam, T. Mass_ Insights into the biomineralization response to ocean acidification in newly settled recruits of the scleractinian coral Stylophora pistillata. 16th International Symposium on Biomineralization (BIOMIN XVI).
  • 2021 - Invited talk - F. Scucchia, P. Zaslansky, T. Mass_ Insights into the biomineralization response to ocean acidification in newly settled coral recruits. BESSY Science Seminar Series 2021, HZB (Helmholtz-Zentrum Berlin).
  • 2022 - Invited talk - F. Scucchia, K. Sauer, P. Zaslansky, T. Mass_ Artificial intelligence as a tool to study the 3D skeletal architecture in newly settled coral recruits: insights into the effects of Ocean Acidification on coral biomineralization. Goldschmidt Conference 2022, Honolulu, Hawaiʻi, USA.
  • 2022 - Invited talk - F. Scucchia, K. Sauer, P. Zaslansky, T. Mass_ Using artificial intelligence to examine the biomineralization response to Ocean Acidification of newly settled coral recruits. Biomineralization Gordon Research Seminar (GRS) 2022, Barcelona, Spain.

Posters

  • 2022 - F. Scucchia, K. Sauer, P. Zaslansky, T. Mass_ Using artificial intelligence to examine the biomineralization response to Ocean Acidification of newly settled coral recruits. Biomineralization Gordon Research Conference (GRC) 2022, Barcelona, Spain.
  • 2021 - F. Scucchia, A. Malik, H. M. Putnam, T. Mass_ Genetic and physiological traits conferring tolerance to ocean acidification in mesophotic corals. Academic Get-Together, Marine Biology Department, University of Haifa, Israel.

Grants and Awards

  • 2017 - Overseas Study Program Award, funding covering one year of study at UCSB, Santa Barabara, California, USA.
  • 2020 - 1st place lecture award, Marine Biology Departmental symposium, Haifa University.
  • 2021 - 2nd place poster award, Marine Biology Departmental symposium, Haifa University.
  • 2022 - Israel Data Science Initiative (IDSI) Cloud Computing grant (2000$).
  • 2022 - The Israel Academy of Sciences, Aharon and Ephraim Katzir Grant (5000$).
  • 2022 - Oren Berko Prize for Excellence, The Interuniversity Institute for Marine Sciences, Eilat (1500$).

Skills and Techniques

Laboratory

  • DNA and RNA extraction from coral tissue: Oculina patagonica (adults), Porites astreoides (larvae and adults) and Stylophora pistillata (larvae, primary polyps and adults)
  • cDNA synthesis, primers design, gel electrophoresis, PCR, qPCR
  • Nanodrop and TapeStation analysis of DNA and RNA
  • DNA methylation enrichment using Methyl Binding Domain protein
  • Library preparation from the enriched methylated DNA fraction

Microscopy

  • Imaging and quantification of chlorophyll-a and GFPs fluorescence with inverted fluorescent microscope
  • Labeling of coral primary polyps with Calcein Blue and calcein fluorescence quantification with inverted fluorescent microscope
  • Imaging and analysis of coral primary polyps and adults skeletons with scanning electron microscope (SEM)
  • Analysis of micro-CT scan images and quantification of skeletal thickness (coral primary polyps)
  • Processing of synchrotron x-ray tomography data. Tools used: TomoTools, NRecon, CTVox, Dragonfly.

Physiology

  • Coral protein concentration assays, symbiotic algae count, chlorophyll concentration assays
  • Assessment of coral symbiotic algae photophysiology using Pulse Amplitude Modulation (PAM) fluorometry
  • Assessment of coral respiration rates (primary polyps and adults) using oxygen chambers

Computational

  • Proficiency with RStudio
  • Knowledge of most basic statistical methods used in biological data
  • Basic shell scripting language
  • Bioinformatics: whole-transcriptome RNA-Seq analysis. Tools used: STAR, HISAT2, StringTie, DIAMOND, DESeq, GOseq, GSEA

Other

  • Collection of coral samples (larvae and adults) from the field (scuba diving)
  • Maintenance and care of coral fragments in outdoor water table systems
  • Lab social media manager and Lab website manager

Research travel

  • 2016 - Two weeks oceanographic campaign for the CNR ISMAR Bologna (Italy). Habitat mapping of Cold Water Corals in the Bari Canyon for the EU Marine Strategy Framework Directive. Main activities: bathymetric data analysis and processing (ArcGIS), ROV videos analysis (ADELIE), mapping of cold water corals habitats (ArcGIS).

  • 2018 - Two weeks internship for the SBC LTER (Santa Barbara Coastal Long Term Ecological Research Project). Main activities: fish and kelp surveys data analysis, lab processing of kelp tissue.

  • 2018 - Three weeks visit to the Coral Biomineralization and Physiology Lab of Tali Mass at the Leon Charney School of Marine Sciences (Haifa), where I conducted a heat-shock experiment to study the thermal stress response of corals, as part of my Master thesis work.

  • 2021 - Five weeks visit to the Charité-Universitätsmedizin (Berlin) in the lab of Dr. Paul Zaslansky, where I learnt how to process and reconstruct x-ray tomography data acquired with synchrotron radiation (beamline) of coral primary polyps’ skeletons.

  • 2022 - One week at the ESRF (European Synchrotron Radiation Facility) in Grenoble (France) to scan coral spats samples at the ID19 beamline and obtain high-resolution tomography data.

  • 2022 - Six weeks at HIMB (Hawai’ian Institute of Marine Biology) in Kanehoe Bay (O’ahu, Hawai’i) to conduct pH-temperature stress experiments with coral larvae.

Teaching activities

Date Position Description
2019_ Teaching Assistant Directed a students group research project for the Marine Venoms and Defense System Course (IUI, Eilat)
2020_ Teaching Assistant Directed a students group research project for the Biology of Corals Course (IUI, Eilat)
2021_ Teaching Assistant Directed a students group research project for the Marine Photosynthesis Course (IUI, Eilat)

Certifications

  • Master Diver, SSI
  • Scientific Diver, AAUS