Martina Panisi

I am a conservation biologist interested in ecology, evolution, and social sciences. My primary focus is on understanding how people perceive, use, and are willing to protect wildlife. I develop social surveys and implement conservation actions that engage communities, particularly by fostering an appreciation for often unpopular species, such as invertebrates.

Currently, I work as a Junior Researcher in the BIODESERTS research group, conducting social-ecological studies and stakeholder engagement activities in the Arabian Peninsula. Additionally, I research desert fauna, with a special focus on invertebrates, particularly spiders.

Over the past few years, my work has involved exploring what people know about wildlife, how they use species, and their conservation preferences, combining research, conservation efforts (such as species action plans, data collection for IUCN Red List assessments, and ex-situ breeding) with environmental education targeting schools, communities, and wider audiences in Portuguese, English, or Italian. I have worked in African countries such as Tanzania (National Geographic-funded project), and in São Tomé and Príncipe, where I co-created and coordinated a land snail conservation project (Forest Giants Project). During this time, I also developed a PhD in Biodiversity, Genetics, and Evolution, focusing on the relationships between land molluscs, their habitats, and the people living in the Gulf of Guinea oceanic islands, using a combination of social and ecological science techniques (cE3c, Lisbon University).

I am a member of the IUCN SSC Atlantic Islands Invertebrates Specialist Group, a National Geographic Explorer, and an Explorers Club 50.