Maria Cristina Fossi is a globally recognized ecologist and ecotoxicologist renowned for her pioneering work in marine ecotoxicology. For three decades, she has advanced methodologies to study the impact of toxic substances on marine ecosystems, focusing on environmental contaminants and marine life. A Full Professor of Ecology and Ecotoxicology at the University of Siena and Scientific Director of the Plastic Busters Laboratory, she has authored numerous scientific publications. Her innovative research investigates the effects of various pollutants, including microplastics and emerging chemicals, on marine organisms and food chains, raising awareness and promoting conservation solutions. Key career milestones include developing the biomarker approach, pioneering non-destructive techniques for endangered species, becoming a world authority on ecotoxicological risk in cetaceans and contributing to the IWC against whaling. She also published early studies on endocrine disruptors in Mediterranean predators and provided the first global evidence of microplastic effects on baleen whales. 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.
During her scientific activity she coordinated more than 40 research projects at national and international level, including 15 projects on the impact of plastics in marine environments. She participated as PI at 75 research expeditions in the Mediterranean, Chile, Argentina, Mexico and Australia. From 1983 onwards she has tutored/supervised about 130 master and PhD students. She has been involved in the organization of more than 28 International Conferences and in more than 80 Conferences as Invited speaker.
She is involved in an intense scientific communication and dissemination activity on the topic of the effects of microplastics on biodiversity (including endangered species): media (RAI, SKY, BBC); magazines (La Repubblica, Corriere della Sera, The Indipendent, The Guardian, etc.); web and films-“A Plastic Ocean” (https://plasticoceans.org/about-a-plastic-ocean/), PlasticBusters-SkyTG24 (https://guidatv.sky.it/programmi-tv/attualita/plastic-buster/22760d06-5561-4c6a-abfe-7e31951556c9), Odissea di Plastica- Sky) - Sky (https://tg24.sky.it/ambiente/2020/07/03/odissea-plastica).
METRIC INDEXES: September 2025 - Scopus h-index=50; Citations=11616; n. documenti: 233. Google Scholar h-index=60; Citations=6786.
Unisi web page: https://docenti.unisi.it/en/fossi
Scopus: https://www.scopus.com/authid/detail.uri?authorId=57211159872
Orcid: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-0836-4020
Scholar: https://scholar.google.it/citations?user=Hazw-9UAAAAJ&hl=it