Full Professor of Coastal Dynamics and Applied Sedimentology in the Department of Mathematics Informatics and Geosciences MIGE, University of Trieste, Italy. Founder and head of the Coastal Group of MIGE since 1998. Formerly the director and deputy director of the Dept. The main research interests are in the morphodynamics and sedimentology of the coastal zone (beaches, lagoons, estuaries, tidal inlets, foredunes); dredging and clam fishing impacts on the physical environment; sedimentary processes on continental margins and epicontinental seas; contamination of marine and coastal sediments. GF took part in a number of national projects (MIUR PRIN Cofin in 1998, 2000, 2002, 2022, CNR GNDCI, National Programme on Antarctic Research PNRA, FISR MIUR Vector, CNR Flagship Project Ritmare) and headed and participated in several oceanographic missions and coastal-marine surveys in Italy, Spain, Albania, Dubai (UAE), Argentina, Chile, and Antarctica. He participated as a partner in a National Geographic Society bi-lateral project (resp. K. Nordstrom, Rutgers University, USA). Scientific consultant for MAP-UNEP in Albania and the Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Cooperation Program in Tunisia. GF is currently and has been the P.I. for a number of governmental and private research contracts for coastal zone management and environmental impact assessment.