His main research interest is the interplay between abiotic and biotic factors in determining the functioning of marine pelagic ecosystems, with particular emphasis on plankton, its biology and evolution. Considering the complexity of plankton dynamics and the difficulty of running observations and experiments on such microscopic marine organisms he uses different approaches integrating oceanographic and biogeochemical observations, laboratory experiments and numerical modeling. The leading theme of plankton ecology is also the basis for his contribution in programs on coastal dynamics and management which are prevalently focused on the Mediterranean sea.