Maria-Luiza Pedrotti

Maria-Luiza Pedrotti is a Brazilian marine scientist specializing in plankton and microplastics, currently based at the Institut de la mer in Villefranche, France. With a degree in oceanography from the Federal University of Rio Grande and a PhD from Sorbonne University, she has dedicated her career to understanding the impacts of environmental factors on marine ecosystems. As the coordinator of the Tara Mediterranean expedition in 2014, she highlighted the alarming presence of microplastics in the ocean, leading to a significant shift in her research focus. Pedrotti also serves as the president of Brazil Azur, an association that promotes cultural and scientific exchanges between Brazil and France. Her work emphasizes the critical role of plankton in marine food chains and the urgent need to address plastic pollution in the oceans.