Ivano Aiello

Ivano Aiello

Faculty Member - Department Chair

Department: Geological Oceanography
Website: https://mlml.sjsu.edu/geooce/

Contact:

email: ivano.aiello@sjsu.edu
phone: (831) 771-4480
office: 511 MLML Main Lab

Social media: Instagram

Biography: 

Dr. Ivano Aiello is a marine geologist and Chair of Moss Landing Marine Laboratories, part of San José State University. He earned his Ph.D. in Sedimentology from the University of Bologna and conducted postdoctoral research at the University of California, Santa Cruz. Dr. Aiello’s research focuses on marine sediments, silica diagenesis, and the geological and chemical processes that shape both deep-sea and coastal environments. He has sailed on multiple international ocean-drilling expeditions (IODP) investigating subseafloor life and hydrothermal systems and has led studies on coastal sediment dynamics and environmental change in the Monterey Bay region. At MLML, he directs projects that integrate marine geology, geochemistry, and mapping technologies to understand how natural processes and industrial impacts affect seafloor and wetland ecosystems.
His work bridges field observation, laboratory analysis, and data-driven environmental monitoring.
Following the Moss Landing battery fire in January 2025, Aiello and his team documented several-fold increase in soil concentrations of battery-derived metals (nickel, cobalt, and manganese) relative to pre-fire baseline levels in Elkhorn Slough wetlands, this study provides the first evidence of toxic metal fallout caused by a fire at one of the world’s largest battery energy storage systems. His findings point to an urgent need for baseline environmental monitoring before future energy storage projects break ground.

Research Interests: 

  • Marine Sedimentology
  • Silica Diagenesis
  • Wetland soils
  • Seafloor Mapping
  • Paleoceanography

Curriculum Vitae:

Selected Publications:

Aiello, I.W. et al. (2025). Mineralization kinetics of biosiliceous sediments in hot subseafloors. Geochimica et Cosmochimica Acta, 380, 71–82.
→ Uncovers how heat and chemistry transform silica-rich sediments deep beneath the ocean floor, revealing the mineralogical evolution of subseafloor systems.
Tags: Subsurface Processes • Diagenesis • Marine Geochemistry
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.gca.2024.07.005

 

Mara, P., Beaudoin, D., Aiello, I., Morono, Y., Geller-McGrath, D., Edgcomb, V.P., & Teske, A. (2024). Deep subseafloor sediments in Guaymas Basin harbor cosmopolitan microbiota and traces of hydrothermal populations. Communications Earth & Environment, 5(1), 505.
→ Discovers vibrant microbial communities thriving in hot, hydrothermal sediments deep below the seafloor.
Tags: Microbiology • Hydrothermal Systems • Deep Biosphere
https://doi.org/10.1038/s43247-024-01662-7

 

Greene, H.G., Maher, N., Endris, C., & Aiello, I.W. (2023). Mapping offshore anthropogenic infrastructure associated with Cannery Row, Monterey Peninsula, California, USA. Continental Shelf Research, 266, 105068.
→ Illuminates the hidden human footprint beneath Monterey Bay, tracing a century of coastal industry through seafloor mapping.
Tags: Marine Mapping • Anthropogenic Impact • Coastal Systems
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.csr.2023.105068

 

Aiello, I.W., Barron, J.A., & Ravelo, A.C. (Eds.) (2022). Understanding the Monterey Formation and Similar Biosiliceous Units Across Space and Time. Geological Society of America Special Paper 556.
→ Brings together global perspectives on silica-rich marine formations, bridging sedimentology, geochemistry, and paleoceanography.
Tags: Siliceous Sediments • Paleoceanography • Stratigraphy
https://doi.org/10.1130/2022.2556

 

Drake, M.K., Aiello, I.W., & Ravelo, A.C. (2022). Gamma-ray attenuation bulk density as an indicator of diatom valve abundance and fragmentation in Pleistocene biosiliceous sediments of the Bering Sea. In Understanding the Monterey Formation … (GSA SP 556).
→ Develops a novel proxy linking physical sediment properties to microscopic fossil content and climate signals.
Tags: Micropaleontology • Sediment Properties • Proxy Development
https://doi.org/10.1130/2022.2556(13)

 

Peng, N., Dang, H., Wu, J., Aiello, I.W., & Jian, Z. (2021). Tectonic and climatic controls on the Plio-Pleistocene evolution of sediment discharge from Papua New Guinea. Marine Geology, 441, 106627.
→ Reveals how shifting monsoons and tectonics shaped sediment flux from Papua New Guinea, linking mountain building to deep-sea deposition.
Tags: Tectonics • Sediment Transport • Paleoclimate
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.margeo.2021.106627

 

Aiello, I.W. & Bekins, B.A. (2010). Milankovitch-scale correlations between deeply buried microbial populations and biogenic ooze lithology. Geology, 38(1), 79–82.
→ Links ancient microbial life to Earth’s orbital climate rhythms, offering a rare view into biosedimentary feedbacks.
Tags: Paleoclimate Cycles • Deep Biosphere • Sedimentology
https://doi.org/10.1130/G30207.1

 

Parkes, R.J., Webster, G., Barry, A.C., Weightman, A.J., Newberry, C.J., Ferdelman, T., Kallmeyer, J., Jørgensen, B.B., Aiello, I.W., & Fry, J.C. (2005). Deep sub-seafloor prokaryotes stimulated at interfaces over geological time. Nature, 436, 390–394.
→ Pioneering study showing that deep subseafloor life remains active and responsive over millions of years.
Tags: Subsurface Microbiology • Geobiology • Deep Time

Full publication list available in CV.

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