Daniela Basso is Full Professor at the Dept. of Earth and Environmental Sciences, Universita di Milano-Bicocca (Italy). The processes leading to marine bioconstruction are the focus of her research. She deals with the taxonomy, ecology and biomineralization of calcareous algae, living and fossils. She reconstructs the recent environmental history of the marine shelf environments through the interpretation of the benthic invertebrate associations recorded in sediments and build-ups.