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Author: Francesca Giammona

I am a PhD candidate at Wake Forest University, and I received a B.S. in Biology from Cornell University. My research focuses on the terrestrial locomotion of fishes. I am particularly interested in how different fishes move differently on land, and how one fish may move differently in different environments. While I tend to study small amphibious fishes, I've had a lifelong fascination with all ocean animals, and sharks in particular. When not doing science, I enjoy running, attempting to bake and cook, and reading.
SURFO SPECIAL: Egregious Erosion
Restoration

SURFO SPECIAL: Egregious Erosion

Erosion is eating away our coasts. What are scientists doing to stop it?
September 3, 2022 Francesca Giammona
Shark Soirée: Do great whites make social connections?
Behavior

Shark Soirée: Do great whites make social connections?

Many animals rely on social interactions with other members of their species for information…but do great white sharks?
April 8, 2022April 8, 2022 Francesca Giammona
Wandering Whales: How Mothers and Their Calves Communicate
Behavior

Wandering Whales: How Mothers and Their Calves Communicate

The ocean is a dangerous place for whale mothers and calves. How do they communicate when trying to covertly travel?
March 9, 2022March 14, 2022 Francesca Giammona
Devastating Depredation: When sharks eat anglers’ catches
Behavior

Devastating Depredation: When sharks eat anglers’ catches

Many people can imagine shark-related dangers to humans, but for anglers, a shark simply eating fish can be a threat.
February 8, 2022February 7, 2022 Francesca Giammona
Hearing Hardships: How sharks hear in a human-dominated world
Sensory Systems

Hearing Hardships: How sharks hear in a human-dominated world

Sharks can smell blood and detect heartbeats from great distances away. But did you know they have good ears too?
January 11, 2022January 11, 2022 Francesca Giammona
Stretching Stings: How jellyfish can sting without using tentacles
Hazards

Stretching Stings: How jellyfish can sting without using tentacles

Jellyfish can cause painful and dangerous stings, but did you know that some jellyfish can sting without even touching you?
December 10, 2021December 10, 2021 Francesca Giammona
Accommodating Anemones: Housing more than just clownfish
Behavior

Accommodating Anemones: Housing more than just clownfish

Clownfish and sea anemones have a famous relationship, but did you know other fishes also use these stinging animals?
November 9, 2021November 9, 2021 Francesca Giammona
Urchin Unease: Can cues from fellow urchins curb these invertebrates’ appetites?
Behavior

Urchin Unease: Can cues from fellow urchins curb these invertebrates’ appetites?

Kelp forests around the world are being threatened and destroyed. The enemy? Sea urchins.
October 8, 2021October 8, 2021 Francesca Giammona
Suffocating Sea Snakes: How fishing harms these undersea reptiles
Conservation

Suffocating Sea Snakes: How fishing harms these undersea reptiles

There are snakes in the ocean, and this is how they suffer from harmful fishing practices.
September 10, 2021September 9, 2021 Francesca Giammona
Incidental Ingestion: Do fishes intentionally swallow microplastics?
Plastic

Incidental Ingestion: Do fishes intentionally swallow microplastics?

Microplastics in our oceans are a growing problem, but how do fishes investigate and interact with these particles?
August 10, 2021 Francesca Giammona
Shark Sleuthing: How scientists can identify which species of sharks attack
Genetics

Shark Sleuthing: How scientists can identify which species of sharks attack

Though shark attacks are uncommon, it is in humanity’s best interest to learn all we can about the sharks responsible.…
July 12, 2021July 12, 2021 Francesca Giammona
Belligerent Birds: Do penguins perform unprompted acts of aggression?
Behavior

Belligerent Birds: Do penguins perform unprompted acts of aggression?

Adélie penguins lead busy lives mating, reproducing, and avoiding being eaten. They can do all this from the safety of…
June 10, 2021June 9, 2021 Francesca Giammona
Bearing teeth: How polar bear dental health can illustrate climate change
Behavior Climate Change

Bearing teeth: How polar bear dental health can illustrate climate change

It is no secret that climate change is damaging Arctic ecosystems. Because of melting sea ice, Arctic species have had…
May 13, 2021May 13, 2021 Francesca Giammona
Conservation Policy

Sleeper Sharks: From the jaws of defeat

There are many stories of species close to extinction. Sometimes, species can go locally extinct, disappearing from a particular area.…
April 16, 2021April 16, 2021 Francesca Giammona
The Otter Guys: How heavy metal pollution affects Alaskan northern sea otters
Pollution

The Otter Guys: How heavy metal pollution affects Alaskan northern sea otters

Most pollution is clearly visible in nature, but some types are very subtle. In the case of heavy metal pollution,…
March 15, 2021March 15, 2021 Francesca Giammona
Killer Consequences: How boats affect the behavior of endangered killer whales
Behavior Human impacts

Killer Consequences: How boats affect the behavior of endangered killer whales

Killer whales are famous for their intelligence and athletic prowess in (and leaping out of) the water. However, for some…
February 16, 2021February 13, 2021 Francesca Giammona
Cuttlefish Cognition: are these oceanic invertebrates capable of learning?
Behavior

Cuttlefish Cognition: are these oceanic invertebrates capable of learning?

The science of animal behavior has become more focused on figuring out the intellectual capacity of non-human, and particularly non-mammalian,…
January 21, 2021January 21, 2021 Francesca Giammona
Whistle While you Work (for Lunch): Dolphin Communication Techniques During Foraging
Behavior

Whistle While you Work (for Lunch): Dolphin Communication Techniques During Foraging

Dolphin groups, or pods, need every member working together to communicate and find food. To do this, dolphins whistle to…
December 21, 2020December 20, 2020 Francesca Giammona
Cold Water Conundrum: How does unusually cold water affect fish growth?
Pollution

Cold Water Conundrum: How does unusually cold water affect fish growth?

With the threat of climate change ever present, many of us focus on the negative effects of unusually warm water…
November 20, 2020November 20, 2020 Francesca Giammona
Microplastics, Canned Fish, and You: How plastic pollution may play a role in your next lunch
Conservation Human impacts Plastic Pollution

Microplastics, Canned Fish, and You: How plastic pollution may play a role in your next lunch

Did you know that many plastic items can shed tiny particles called microplastics? These microplastics are present everywhere in our…
October 26, 2020May 31, 2022 Francesca Giammona

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