GUIDE-days 2025: Microplastics and Marine Health – Challenges and Solutions
The role of microplastics in the marine environment – what does the research show? As part of this year’s GUIDE-days, we invite you to a morning of research presentations offering both a broad overview and an in-depth perspective on the current scientific understanding of microplastics in the marine environment.
Microplastics today represent a complex challenge within marine environmental research. Despite extensive studies, fundamental questions remain regarding their transport pathways, transformation processes and ecological consequences. Field data are often fragmentary, methodologies vary between research environments, and the knowledge base is rapidly evolving.
As part of this year’s GUIDE-days, hosted by the Faculty of Science and Technology at the University of Gothenburg, we invite you to an in-depth overview of current research findings and ongoing studies that address these knowledge gaps. The presentations span several disciplines – from sedimentology and particle dynamics to ecotoxicology, chemical pollution and environmental policy. Together, they contribute to an integrated understanding of the role microplastics play in marine systems.
Researchers from the University of Gothenburg, Chalmers University of Technology and the School of Business, Economics and Law will highlight, among other things, how microplastics accumulate in sediments, how particles move through the water column, and which additives accompany plastics in the environment. In addition to natural science perspectives, the programme includes policy analysis and business-related dimensions, with a focus on regulatory instruments and strategies for reducing plastic-related risks.
For participants from academia, industry and the public sector, the morning offers an opportunity to engage with robust scientific evidence and reflect on how research results can inform future measures, regulation and sustainable resource use. Altogether, the programme provides an academically grounded and interdisciplinary overview of a rapidly developing field.
Welcome!