Prof Francesca Porri is a senior scientist at the South African Institute for Aquatic Biodiversity ( in Grahamstown/ Makhanda South Africa, with interests in the ecology of coastal systems. She completed her PhD at Rhodes University, examining the spatio temporal mechanisms that drive larval connectivity of mussels on the south east coast of South Africa.
Dr Porri has a background in marine ecology and experimental design, mostly focusing on the dynamics of dispersal, recruitment, functioning of early life stages in coastal habitats, including rocky shores, sandy beaches, estuaries, mangroves as well as urbanised shorelines. Mechanisms of organismal responses to the environment and connectivity of benthic populations are key topics of the research she does, with strong inter and multidisciplinary links to oceanography, physiology, ichthyology, genetics, theoretical ecology, indigenous knowledge, modelling, the arts and education.