Dr. Nicola Cantasano is an interdisciplinary researcher working across marine biology, freshwater ecosystem monitoring, and astrobiology. His research focuses on developing innovative methods to measure, map, and assess the ecological status of marine and fluvial environments. A significant part of his work addresses the structure, dynamics, and conservation of Mediterranean seagrass ecosystems, particularly Posidonia oceanica. He has also contributed to marine macroalgal taxonomy and the monitoring of invasive and non-native algal species. In freshwater systems, his studies emphasize functional assessment, ecological connectivity, and integrated ecosystem management. Another distinctive research direction explores analogies between terrestrial microbial structures and sedimentary features observed on Mars. Overall, his work bridges environmental science and planetary biology to advance understanding of life-supporting processes on Earth and beyond.