Projects and Collaborations

ZPLAST – Zéro Plastique en Méditerranée

Scientific coordination for a citizen science project revisiting the same Durance riverbank sites first surveyed with SPEM (2019–2020), tracking how macrolitter abundance has changed over five years.

• Proposal & design: Named in France Nature Environnement PACA's funding proposal as the project's scientific expert; designed the protocol using the official EU Marine Strategy Framework Directive methodology for EU-comparable results
• Citizen science training: Trained citizen scientists to collect standardised field data along the riverbank
• Municipal engagement: Presented the results to local policymakers at the project's closing meeting, coordinated by France Nature Environnement PACA
• Publication: Analysed results and presented them to the scientific community at the One Ocean Science Congress in Nice (2025, alongside UNOC3); data already published, peer-reviewed paper in preparation

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A Buon Rendere: Molto più di un vuoto

Technical articles and data analysis for A Buon Rendere, Italy's national campaign for a deposit return system (DRS) for beverage containers. A DRS aims to raise collection rates and reduce container litter.

• Technical writing (2022–2025): Authored articles on deposit return systems in Italy and across Europe, translating policy and regulatory complexity into clear, accessible content for campaign audiences
• Data analysis (since 2026): Analyses the data behind the campaign's brand-audit tracker (the ABR Radar)

Profili Antropici – La plastica come misura del nostro tempo

End-to-end science communication and research coordination for a citizen science project investigating beach litter along the Tuscan Coast.

• Funding & design: Wrote the research proposal and designed the scientific protocol used to quantify plastic abundance across three beaches
• Citizen science training: Trained citizen scientists to collect standardised field data, bridging the gap between local communities and environmental research
• Municipal engagement: Facilitated three in-person and two online meetings with three local governments, presenting field data directly to the decision-makers responsible for that coastline and investigating existing measures to reduce single-use plastic pollution
• Scientific publication: Analysed results and authored a book chapter published by Firenze University Press, following an academic workshop

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Stop Plastiques en Méditerranée (SPEM)

The first quantification of macrolitter abundance on the Durance riverbank — a baseline dataset that would later make it possible to track change over time when the same sites were revisited in ZPLAST (2024–2026).

• Funding & design: Helped write the research proposal and designed the scientific protocol used to survey the riverbank
• Citizen science training: Trained more than 15 citizen scientists to collect standardised field data
• Data analysis & publication: Analysed the results and authored a peer-reviewed paper documenting the findings

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Expédition MED 2019

Scientific coordination and citizen-scientist training aboard the R/V Free Soul for Expédition MED's 2019 survey — sampling floating microplastics, recording environmental variables, and preserving samples for genomic analysis of the plastisphere. The data contributed to Delacuvellerie et al. (2022) on plastisphere microbial communities.

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Pelagos Plastic Free

Initiated and co-wrote the research proposal with Legambiente, then led scientific coordination of the resulting citizen science expedition aboard the R/V Ainez for Expédition MED — training volunteers, managing field data, and preserving samples for laboratory analysis. The microplastics and plastisphere results, combined with the 2017 campaign, were published in Amaral-Zettler et al. (2021).

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Expedition MED 2017

Had the idea to combine Expedition MED's at-sea sampling capability and citizen volunteers with plastisphere genomics research, and reached out to bring NIOZ and ENEA on board as scientific partners. Led scientific coordination aboard the R/V Ainez for the resulting 2017 survey — sampling floating microplastics, recording environmental variables, and preserving samples for genomic analysis of the plastisphere; trained citizen scientists and managed field data.