Francesca Gherardi

Francesca Gherardi (12 November 1955 – 14 February 2013) was an Italian zoologist, ethologist, and ecologist. Most of her work was performed at the Department of Biology of the University of Florence, Italy, where she was a researcher and an associate professor.

Early life and education Gherardi became interested in crustaceans as a teen, when one of her friends had a tropical aquarium. She obtained a master's degree in Biology in 1979 from the University of Florence with a thesis on aggressive behaviour, dominance hierarchies and individual recognition in decapods. She gained her PhD in Animal Biology (Ethology) at the University of Florence with a dissertation on the eco-ethology of the freshwater crab Potamon fluviatile. Marco Vannini was her advisor for both degrees. That work resulted in a large number of published papers and intensive study of Mediterranean hermit crabs. Beginning in 1988, she developed a collaboration with Graziano Fiorito of the Stazione Zoologica Anton Dohrn, in Naples, Italy, that continued for more than 10 years working, together with her student Elena Tricarico, on the problem of individual recognition in Octopus vulgaris.

In 1992 she was appointed researcher at the University of Florence.

The great bulk of her initial work concerned the social recognition in crustaceans and cephalopods: she was particularly known for her studies on hermit crabs (and the problem of shell choice) and on crayfish.

In the 1990s, Gherardi's research began to focus on the problem of biological invasions. She studied alien aquatic species, and in particular the red swamp crayfish Procambarus clarkii, a pest organism in European inland waters. She became a recognized authority on this species, developing with her students different methods of control.

She collaborated with scientists including Jelle Atema (Boston University), Patsy McLauhglin (Shannon Point Marine Center); Bella Galil (Tel Aviv University); Brian A. Hazlett (University of Michigan); Bernardino Fantini (University of Geneve); Catherine Souty-Grosset (Université dé Poitiers); Piero Genovesi (Chair of IUCN ISSG); Dianna K. Padilla (Stony Brook University).

Gherardi died suddenly on February 14, 2013.

Recognitions

She occupied the most important positions of the International Association of Astacology, such as secretary-treasurer (2000–02), president-elect (2002–04), president (2004–06), and past president (2006–08), until in 2010 she was awarded the title of "Distinguished Astacologist 2010" for her achievements in the field. and was also a member of the Freshwater Crab and Crayfish Specialist Group of the IUCN (2009-2013) and of the IUCN Species Survival Commission (2002-2013).

Selected bibliography