On March 3rd, Professor Maria Cristina Fossi, Full Professor of Ecology and Ecotoxicology at the University of Siena and Scientific Director of the Plastic Busters Laboratory, represented Italy on behalf of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, through the Italian Embassy in Vienna, at the prestigious Austrian Academy of Sciences. Prof. Fossi took part, together with eight other internationally renowned STEM women scientists, in the event “WOMEN IN SCIENCE: BREAKING FRONTIERS”, presenting her research on the impact of anthropogenic stressors on Mediterranean biodiversity, with a particular focus on the two new European projects MIRAMAR and MedPROACT, within the framework of the UfM-labelled Plastic Busters initiative. 

Maria Cristina Fossi is a globally recognized ecologist and ecotoxicologist renowned for her pioneering work in marine ecotoxicology. Since 2013, she leads the Plastic Busters initiative, uniting Mediterranean shores against marine litter, and since 2022, she innovates diagnostic methods for emerging contaminants’ effects on iconic marine species.