Since 1990 he is full professor of Ecology at the Faculty of Science of the University of Messina (Italy). General Secretary in the following NATO courses coordinated by Dr Trevor Platt, Halifax, Canada: (a) Lipari Island, Italy (12-24 October 1980) on Physiological ecology of Phytoplankton, (b) Bombannes (Bordeaux, France 12-20 May 1982) on Flows of energy and materials in marine ecosyistems: theory and practice, (c) S. Miniato, Italy (1-7 October 1985) on Physiological Ecology of photosynthetic Picopl9ankton in the Ocean. From 1990 to 2002, Italian Delegate to the Scientific Commission of the CCAMLR (Commission for the Conservation of Antarctic Marine Living Resources, Hobart (Tasmania, Australia). Over 60 months accumulated research experience at sea, including the following PNRA Italian Antarctic Expeditions as Principal Investigator: III Exp. (Terra Nova Bay Ecosystem,1987-88), V (South Pacific Sector,1989-90), X ROSSMIZE (Ross Sea Marginal Ice Zone Ecology,1994-95), XIII PIPEX (Pack Ice Plankton Expedition,1997-98), XV PIED (Pack Ice Ecosystem Dynamics 1999-2000), XX SEAROWS (Sea ice Ecology in the Antarctic: ROss and Weddell Seas) on the Polar Queen, Cariboo, Italica (1987-2002), Peri-Antarctic Oceanographic Expeditions in the Strait of Magellan I (1991) and II (1995), and one Arctic canadian cruise by N/R Hudson (1980). He has been Scientific Responsible of the Operative Unit Zooplankton and Micronekton in the following European projects: VECTOR, RITMARE, COCONET, MARINE STRATEGY. From 1968 to now, his research activity has been continuously addressed to issues on the zooplankton and micronekton ecology and biodiversity. Its main fields of study concern: (a) spatio-temporal distribution and daily vertical migrations (DVM) of marine zooplankton and micronekton communities in the Mediterranean and Polar ecosystems, in relation to the physical, chemical and biological water mass structure) (b) brackish environments functioning and biological response to stressor variables, (c) functioning of the coastal and pelagic food chain, with particular regard to the role of euphausiid and mesopelagic fish in the Deep Scattering Layer (DSL) (d) zooplankton role in the carbon cycle, (e) particles size spectrum (OPC) in the study of aquatic ecosystems (f) effects of climate change on the biology and ecology of Antarctic sea-ice and free water zooplankton communities. During 18 PNRA Antarctic expeditions (1987-2018) in Terra Nova Bay, Ross Sea and South Pacific Sector in free water and pack-fast-ice he collected about 6000 samples which are part of the zooplankton and micronekton collection laboratory of the University of Messina. In addition to the classic mesozooplankton and micronekton such as WP2, Indian Ocean Standard Net (IOSN), Bongo 40, IKMT, PHN, advanced electronic multinet are part of its field instrumentation such as BIONESS (1 m2) with 12 nets, MININESS (0.25 m2) with 10 nets 200, 500 and 1000 um, MICRONESS with 4 100 um nets, equipped with a multiparametric probe seabird 11 plus, fluorescence sensor and Optical Plankton Counter (OPC).
Research results are documented in more than 240 papers on national and international peer journals. Editor of these books: Atlas of Marine Zooplankton Strait of Magellan I Copepods (1995) and II Amphipods, Mysids, Euphausiids, Ostracods, Chaetognaths, Springer Verlag (1996); Ross Sea Ecology, Springer Verlag 2000; Mediterranean Ecosystems Structure and Processes, Springer Verlag (2001). Editor of the Research Topic "Ecology of Marine Zooplankton and Micronekton in Polar and Sub-Polar Areas” in Frontiers in Marine Biology (2023-2024).