Massimo Ponti is an Associate Professor in Ecology at the Department of Biological, Geological and Environmental Sciences Alma Mater Studiorum, University of Bologna, Italy. He has an Hons MSc in Marine Environmental Science (University of Bologna, 1996) and a PhD in Ecology (University of Parma, 2001). His research experiences range from temperate to tropical benthic ecology, mainly focusing on species diversity, habitat–species interactions, effects of human disturbances and climate change at community and population levels, marine protected areas, citizen science and biodiversity conservation. He is working on ecological shifts associated with gorgonians mass mortality related to heatwaves, on bioconstruction/bioerosion processes in coralligenous habitats, on human impacts in Mediterranean harbors and coastal lagoons, and in the Indonesian coral reefs. He is an Associate Editor in Marine Conservation and Sustainability, of the journal Frontiers in Marine Science; President of the Italian association of scientific divers, diving master instructor, and Vice-President of the Reef Check Italy no-profit association.