Dr. Susanna Piovano
I am Adjunct Associate Professor at the Discipline of Marine Studies, where I conduct research primarily on marine megafauna – ranging from sea turtles to sharks and bony fishes – and the shallow waters that provide them habitats.
I believe that good management and conservation require good science, and I am especially interested in:
– understanding the interactions between animals and the biotic and abiotic factors that drive changes in their communities
– effects of pollution and environmental stressors on the behavioral ecology of aquatic animals
– incidental captures in marine fisheries.
I am available to co-supervise PhD students; if interested, feel free to send me an email to discuss possible topics.
My email is: piovanolab @ gmail.com
Recent publications (2019-current)
(* denotes a USP student/junior staff)
2022
Breckwoldt A, Nozik A, Moosdorf N, Bierwirth J, Fache E, Ferse S, Ford A, Mangubhai S, Pelletier D, Piovano S (2022) A typology for reef passages. Frontiers in Marine Science 9, 786125. doi:10.3389/fmars.2022.786125.
Longenecker K, Franklin EC, *Hill-Lewenilovo R, Lalavanua W, Langston R, Mangubhai S, Piovano S (2022) Many immature individuals and largest size classes lacked females for three coral reef fishes (Actinopterygii) in Fiji market surveys: Implications for fishery management. Acta Ichthyologica et Piscatoria 52, 53–65. doi:10.3897/aiep.52.80586.
Nozik A, Breckwoldt A, Becker R, Fache E, Piovano S (2022) Typology approach from visual interpretation of satellite imagery for reef passages around 9 South Pacific islands. Dataset (565 data points). doi:10.1594/PANGAEA.942568.
*Prakash SS, Lal MM, Dutton PH, Rico C, Piovano S (2022) Kinship genomics approach to study mating systems in a depleted sea turtle rookery. Regional Studies in Marine Science 51, 102174. doi:10.1016/j.rsma.2022.102174.
*Shalvina A, De Ramon N’Yeurt A, Lako J, Piovano S (2022) Effects of selected environmental conditions on growth and carrageenan quality of laboratory-cultured Kappaphycus alvarezii (Rhodophyta) in Fiji, South Pacific. Journal of Applied Phycology 34, 1033–1043. doi:10.1007/s10811-022-02690-6.
2021
Álvarez-Varas R, Heidemeyer M, Riginos C, Benítez HA, Reséndiz E, Lara-Uc M, Godoy DA, Muñoz-Pérez JP, Alarcón-Ruales DE, Vélez-Rubio GM, Fallabrino A, Piovano S, Alfaro-Shigueto J, Ortiz-Alvarez C, Mangel JC, Esquerré D, Zárate P, Medrano C, León Miranda F, Guerrero F, Vianna JA, Véliz D (2021) Integrating morphological and genetic data at different spatial scales in a cosmopolitan marine turtle species: challenges for management and conservation. Zoological Journal of the Linnean Society 191, 434–453. doi:10.1093/zoolinnean/zlaa066.
*Dehm J, *Singh S, Ferreira M, Piovano S, Fick J (2021) Screening of pharmaceuticals in coastal waters of the southern coast of Viti Levu in Fiji, South Pacific. Chemosphere 276, 130161. doi:10.1016/j.chemosphere.2021.130161.
Dutra LXC, Haywood MDE, *Singh S, Ferreira M, Johnson JE, Veitayaki J, Kininmonth S, Morris CW, Piovano S (2021) Synergies between local and climate-driven impacts on coral reefs in the Tropical Pacific: A review of issues and adaptation opportunities. Marine Pollution Bulletin 164, 111922. doi:10.1016/j.marpolbul.2020.111922.
*Kitolelei S, Thaman R, Veitayaki J, Breckwoldt A, Piovano S (2021) Na Vuku Makawa ni Qoli: Indigenous Fishing Knowledge (IFK) in Fiji and the Pacific. Frontiers in Marine Science 8, 684303. doi:10.3389/fmars.2021.684303.
*Varea R, *Paris A, Ferreira M, Piovano S (2021) Multibiomarker responses to polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons and microplastics in thumbprint emperor Lethrinus harak from a South Pacific locally managed marine area. Scientific Reports 11, 17991.
2020
*Dehm J, *Singh S, Ferreira M, Piovano S (2020) Microplastics in subsurface coastal waters along the southern coast of Viti Levu in Fiji, South Pacific. Marine Pollution Bulletin 156, 111239. doi:10.1016/j.marpolbul.2020.111239.
Gilman E, Chaloupka M, Bach P, Fennell H, Hall M, Musyl M, Piovano S, Poisson F, Song L (2020) Effect of pelagic longline bait type on species selectivity: a global synthesis of evidence. Reviews in Fish Biology and Fisheries 30, 535–551. doi:10.1007/s11160-020-09612-0.
Papale E, *Prakash S, *Singh S, Batibasaga A, Buscaino G, Piovano S (2020) Soundscape of green turtle foraging habitats in Fiji, South Pacific. PLOS ONE 15, e0236628. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0236628.
Piovano S, Batibasaga A (2020) Fiji. ‘Sea turtles in Oceania – MTSG annual regional report 2020’. (Eds TM Work, D Parker, GH Balazs) pp. 152–166. (IUCN/SSC Marine Turtle Specialist Group Publication)
Piovano S, Lemons GE, *Ciriyawa A, Batibasaga A, Seminoff JA (2020) Diet and recruitment of green turtles in Fiji, South Pacific, inferred from in-water capture and stable isotope analysis. Marine Ecology Progress Series 640, 201–213. doi:10.3354/meps13287.
*Prakash S, Piovano S (2020) Solomon Islands. ‘Sea turtles in Oceania – MTSG annual regional report 2020’. (Eds TM Work, D Parker, GH Balazs) pp. 538–568. (IUCN/SSC Marine Turtle Specialist Group Publication)
*Prakash S, *Tuiono M, Clay S, Qarau P, Philip C, Miller K, Meo S, Tamata L, Sharma-Gounder S, Piovano S (2020) Temporal and geographic distribution of hawksbill nests in Fiji, South Pacific. Testudo 9, 12–23.
*Varea R, Piovano S, Ferreira M (2020) Knowledge gaps in ecotoxicology studies of marine environments in Pacific Island Countries and Territories – a systematic review. Marine Pollution Bulletin 156, 111264. doi:10.1016/j.marpolbul.2020.111264.
2019
*Glaus KBJ, Adrian-Kalchhauser I, Piovano S, Appleyard SA, Brunnschweiler JM, Rico C (2019) Fishing for profit or food? Socio-economic drivers and fishers’ attitudes towards sharks in Fiji. Marine Policy 100, 249–257. doi:10.1016/j.marpol.2018.11.037.
*Glaus KBJ, Brunnschweiler JM, Piovano S, Mescam G, Genter F, Fluekiger P, Rico C (2019) Essential waters: young bull sharks in Fiji’s largest riverine system. Ecology and Evolution 9, 7574–7585. doi:10.1002/ece3.5304.
*Hill-Lewenilovo R, *Vuiyasawa R, Piovano S (2019) First record of a dugong (Dugong dugon Müller, 1776) in Fiji. Pacific Conservation Biology 25, 324–325. doi:10.1071/PC18059.
Jonsson M, Andersson M, Fick J, Brodin T, Klaminder J, Piovano S (2019) High-speed imaging reveals how antihistamine exposure affects escape behaviours in aquatic insect prey. Science of The Total Environment 648, 1257–1262. doi:10.1016/j.scitotenv.2018.08.226.
Piovano S, Batibasaga A, *Ciriyawa A, LaCasella EL, Dutton PH (2019) Mixed stock analysis of juvenile green turtles aggregating at two foraging grounds in Fiji reveals major contribution from the American Samoa Management Unit. Scientific Reports 9, 3150. doi:10.1038/s41598-019-39475-w.