ECR Spotlight – Federico De Pascalis Free

Federico De Pascalis

How did you become interested in biology?

For as long as I can remember, I have been fascinated by living organisms and their habitats. As a child, I spent countless hours outdoors searching for all kinds of animals, eager to learn their names, understand where they lived and observe their behaviours. Indoors, I would immerse myself in documentaries, dreaming of expeditions to remote parts of the world to explore and appreciate the incredible diversity of life. Naturally, when the time came to choose a university path, I chose biology.

Describe your scientific journey and your current research focus

Among my broad range of interests in the natural world, the seas have always held a special place. The idea of an immense, deep and mysterious mass of water, only partially touched by humans and home to an incredible variety of life, has always been stimulating and exciting to me. This fascination led me to study marine mammals, and while studying for my BSc and MSc, I spent several summer months on a research vessel in the Mediterranean Sea operated by an Italian NGO. As a lifelong birdwatcher, I also took the opportunity to observe marine birds. One day, I was struck by the sight of tiny birds, hundreds of kilometres from the coast, moving between the waves on the water's surface. They were storm petrels, and in that moment I decided to dedicate my work to studying seabirds. I then completed a thesis in the UK on seabird ecology and spent a few years tracking seabirds in the Caribbean as a research assistant. Afterward, I returned to Italy and completed a PhD at the University of Milan, under the supervision of Prof. Diego Rubolini and Dr Jacopo G. Cecere. During my PhD, I had the opportunity to initiate and develop a research project on storm petrels on the beautiful Mediterranean island of Sardinia, with the invaluable support of local ornithologist Danilo Pisu and a regional park. Currently, I am focusing on a variety of topics related to the movement ecology of birds, with my primary research centred on seabirds, specifically on their ability to move and locate prey across contrasting seascapes, such as tropical and temperate regions, which are shaped by different oceanographic and atmospheric conditions.

How would you explain the main findings of your paper to a member of the public?

Storm petrels are the tiniest of seabirds, yet they can travel hundreds of kilometres over the open ocean in search of food. Unlike larger seabirds that skilfully glide on wind currents to save energy, storm petrels were thought to rely entirely on flapping their wings. But until now, no one had tested this idea or measured just how much they depend on flapping, mainly because tracking devices were too large for such small birds. Using tiny movement sensors that record acceleration and magnetic field changes, we tracked European storm petrels on their oceanic journeys. We found that they spend 78% of their time in the air (an average of 48 h per trip), flapping almost constantly, 9 times per second on average, with peaks of up to 15 times per second! They rarely glide, and only for a split second. Interestingly, they are most active at night and rest on the sea during the middle of the day. Our study reveals the unique flight strategy of these small but resilient travellers and raises new questions about how they sustain such energy-intensive journeys across the ocean.

Why did you choose JEB to publish your paper?

I chose JEB because many high-quality papers I admire on similar topics have been published in this journal. I had also heard great things about the speed and quality of the review process, which proved to be both prompt and highly supportive. Additionally, I appreciate the efforts JEB makes to support Early Career Researchers, through different initiatives. Finally, given the current state of the scientific publishing system, I believe it is important to support journals published by scientific societies and non-profit organizations.

What is the most important piece of equipment for your research, what does it do and what question did it help you address?

For this particular research, the most important piece of equipment was, without a doubt, the tiny inertial measurement units (IMUs) we used on storm petrels. These devices measure acceleration and magnetic fields along three axes at high frequency, allowing us to reconstruct the birds' movements in fine detail. By analysing these data, we could determine key aspects of their flight, such as wingbeat frequency and orientation. IMUs are typically too large and heavy for such small birds, but thanks to the efforts of one of my coauthors, Andrea Benvenuti, and the generous support of a manufacturer, we were able to develop a version small enough to be fitted onto storm petrels. We temporarily attached them to the birds' backs using tape and retrieved them after a few days to download the data. The attachment process was challenging because of the birds' small back feathers, but in the end, we successfully collected the information we needed.

What is your favourite animal, and why?

I guess it is no surprise that my favourite birds are storm petrels. I am not entirely sure why, but it is a mix of their secretive nature and their incredible resilience. Despite their tiny size (some species weigh only 16–20 g), they roam the oceans for their entire lives, landing only to breed. And they live long lives, too, sometimes reaching 30 years! The thought of such a small creature braving massive oceanic winter swells, waves the size of buildings, strong winds and relentless gales, with nothing but its tiny wings is simply breathtaking. To me, storm petrels embody the very essence of what it means to be a seabird. Until recently, very little was known about their lives at sea because their small size made it impossible to use tracking devices. But thanks to advances in miniaturized technology, we are beginning to uncover their secrets. Ancient sailors were also captivated by storm petrels, and many myths surround them. Some believed they were the souls of lost sailors, sent by the sea witch Mother Carey to either warn of an approaching storm or claim new souls for the sea. Others thought the severity of a storm could be predicted by the number of petrels in sight. Despite their elusive nature, storm petrels have left their mark on human culture, proving that even small secretive creatures can inspire awe.