Plastics in the Aquatic Environment : Current Status and Challenges

Dr. Nicole Brennholt is a research scientist in the Department of Biochemistry and Ecotoxicology at the German Federal Institute of Hydrology (BfG; Koblenz, Germany) since 2009. She has a Ph.D. in ecology from the University of Essen, Germany. Dr. Brennholt is in charge of national and international projects dealing with (micro-)plastic issues in freshwater and marine ecosystems and microbial water quality. Furthermore, she manages the microbial laboratory (biosafety level 2). With her colleagues she organized several national and international workshops and symposia on plastics in marine and freshwater environments.

Dr. Evgeniia Kostianaia is a researcher at the P.P. Shirshov Institute of Oceanology, Russian Academy of Sciences (Moscow, Russia). She is involved in several international initiatives such as acting as the Focal Point for the International Ocean Institute (Malta) for Moscow, Russia; representing Russia as the Black Sea Young Ambassador and being a member of the working group on sustainable development of the Caspian Sea region and the Caspian Integrated Scientific Network (CASPISNET). She has helped organize several conferences on sustainable development of the Russian parts of the Azov, Black and Caspian Seas.