Aims
Benthic facies and applied marine paleoecology

To provide technical skills to plan, analyse and interpret the results of the paleontological and paleoecological investigation. To provide the rationale and the methods for the use of palaeoecology in the reconstruction of recent environmental changes in transitional and marine coastal areas, on the basis of the interplay between natural change and history of the anthropogenic impact. Ability to identify and interpret some common macrobenthic facies, and taphofacies. Ability to manage the commonest multivariate methods of statistical analyses for the interpretation of benthic associations.

Microfacies; the Pelagic Environment

Knowledge of the microfossil groups which are useful to define a paleoenvironmental and biostratigraphic framework from different oceanographic settings. Taxonomic bases for the identification of the main planktonic species. Application of microfossil assemblage for paleoecological reconstructions. Environmental Micropaleontology. Taphonomy.