I am a Biologist and a PhD student at Lund University. I am originally from Uruguay, where I conducted my Bachelor and Master studies at Universidad de la República (UdelaR). My research interests in Ecology and Evolution are broad. My Bachelor´s thesis focused on the behavioural ecology of the fur seal Arctocephalus australis, and during my Master’s I studied trophic web structure and pesticides distribution in a subtropical shallow lake.

My PhD project focuses on how different anthropogenic and natural stressors affect freshwater ecosystems. I am particularly interested in assessing effects at different biological levels, from organisms to communities to ecosystem processes.

Fate and effects of nanoplastics in freshwater ecosystems

Plastic pollution is a global environmental problem, with plastics being reported in all ecosystems of the biosphere. When plastic breaks down, it forms micro and nano-sized plastics. In particular, nanoplastics (NP, size < 1000 nm) have been shown to be toxic to several freshwater organisms, like plankton, benthic macroinvertebrates and fish. Most studies on NPs have been performed at the lab scale, in simplified experimental designs, which have greatly contributed to our understanding of NP behaviour and toxicity. However, little is known about the fate and effects of NP in nature. This project aims to assess the fate and effects of NPs in freshwater ecosystems. In that pursuit, I am performing wetland mesocosm experiments, together with lab experiments, to assess effects at different biological levels. I am using both pure plastic nano-particles as well as metal-doped plastic particles, to be able to track them in the ecosystem using the metal as a proxy. This project will contribute to the understanding of how freshwater ecosystems are affected by plastics in the nano-size range, besides providing needed knowledge for risk assessment and regulations.