Carmela Caroppo (Taranto, 25/01/1962) has a degree in Biological Sciences (1988) and a specialization in Marine Biochemistry (1994) from the University of Bari; she is currently a researcher at the Water Research Institute of the National Research Council in Taranto. She deals with themes related to the ecology of picoplankton and phytoplankton communities, phytoplankton biodiversity, ecology of harmful algae in marine and brackish environments, isolation and culturing of microalgal and cyanobacterial strains from different substrates, and integrated coastal zone management. She has participated in several national and international projects and is the author of about 70 publications in national and international journals.