Task Teams
Stefano Aliani is Science Director at the Lerici section of the Institute of Marine Science of the National Research Council of Italy. He leads the Plastic Pollution Laboratory and has served as principal investigator and coordinator of national and international research projects, as well as chief scientist on multiple oceanographic cruises, including polar expeditions. His research integrates physical oceanography and ecology, focusing on how oceanographic processes shape marine ecosystems. Since the 1990s, he has investigated the distribution of marine debris and the dispersal through ocean currents. He is also actively engaged in science‑policy activities, among them the Plastic Treaty, and serves on several international working groups and expert panels. Stefano Aliani has also served as Vice President of SCOR and ISC expert for plastic pollution.
Dr. Amy Lusher is a Senior Research Scientist at the Norwegian Institute for Water Research (NIVA) and a marine biologist specialising in litter and microplastic pollution. She has authored more than 60 peer-reviewed publications, including influential studies on the assessment and monitoring of microplastics, and has been recognised as a Highly Cited Researcher in Environment and Ecology and Cross-Field research for the past five years. Her research focuses on the development and harmonisation of methods to improve the quality and comparability of microplastic data across environmental matrices. She contributes to several international expert groups and initiatives, including OSPAR, AMAP, and ICES, and previously served on GESAMP Working Group 40 on Microplastics in the Marine Environment. Through her research and international collaborations, she supports coordinated approaches to monitoring, assessment, and management of plastic pollution in aquatic ecosystems.