(she/her)
Growing up along the Chesapeake Bay, I have always been fascinated by the relationship between the ocean and human health. Whilst studying biochemistry at Virginia Tech, I developed an interest in global sustainability and climate change research. With a passion for mitigating marine pollution, my research is focused on identifying the harmful impacts of microplastic leachates to advance the development of global regulations around plastic production and disposal.
Are microplastics changing biogeochemical cycles as we know it?
PI and Institution:
Bhavani Narayanaswamy, Scottish Association for Marine Science – University of the Highlands and Islands
PhD aim:
To investigate plastic degradation and preservation in biodiverse coastal environments and the long-term impact on microbial growth, nutrient cycling, and climate change.
PhD objectives:
- Evaluating the spatial distribution of microplastics across a salinity gradient in comparison to the presence of microbial communities capable of the biodegradation of synthetic polymers.
- Quantifying levels of plastic derived dissolved organic carbon from different polymers as a labile source of carbon for microorganisms.
- Investigating microbial community structure shifts due to interactions with plastic derived organic carbon.
- Identifying plastic additives leaching from marine litter and the impacts on marine microbiota growth and nutrient cycling.
Contact details:
Email: [email protected]
LinkedIn: Isabella Cruz
Conference presentations:
Spatio-temporal variability of microplastics along Scotland’s west coast Revolution Plastics PhD Conference, University of Portsmouth, March 2025.