The HOTSPOT project group collaborates with the microplastic research group at the Finnish Environment Institute SYKE.
About SYKE
Finnish Environment Institute SYKE, Finland is a broad-based research and expert institute. SYKE works with decision-makers, companies, municipalities and citizens in numerous Finnish and international networks.
SYKE does research on environmental changes and their backgrounds, as well as search for methods to resolve problems. The work involves interaction between nature, the environment and humans. SYKE tackles significant environmental problems such as climate change and the adequacy of natural resources. The Institute predicts future events and changes and spearhead initiatives with successful trials. SYKE carries out broad-scoped monitoring and research of the environment and examines the world from the perspective of natural sciences and social sciences.
About the marine litter research group
Marine litter research group in the Marine Research Centre of SYKE led by Outi Setälä and Maiju Lehtiniemi is studying the role of microplastics in the Finnish waters of the Baltic Sea (since 2012) and in freshwaters (starting from 2016). Study topics include microplastic ingestion, transfer and impacts in the food webs and in the seafloor sediments. In addition, microplastic sampling and sample processing methods for various matrices (water, sediment, biota) have been tested and developed by the group.
The research group is also responsible for developing the Finnish monitoring of marine litter, actively participating in international working groups (EU, ICES, HELCOM) dealing with biological and litter monitoring and research.
People from SYKE involved in HOTSPOT
Maiju Lehtiniemi, SYKE is a research professor in the Marine Research Centre and a docent of the University of Helsinki. She did her PhD thesis (2001) on Baltic planktivores and has since led projects on food web interactions. She is a marine biologist studying effects of non-indigenous species and marine litter on food web functioning. She has supervised/supervises >20 students from Master’s to Post doc levels and gives occasional university lectures. She has authored and co-authored 81 articles with referee practice and is in editorial board of 2 international journals.
Outi Setälä, SYKE is a leading research scientist in the Marine Research Centre and docent of the University of Helsinki. She is the national expert on marine litter issues in Finland. She is also actively participating in the international collaboration between HELCOM and EU member states regarding marine litter. Her tasks in SYKE include the development of the national strategy for marine litter monitoring, especially microlitter and microplastics. She is a marine ecologist with long research experience on Baltic Sea microprotist ecology and brackish water planktonic food web interactions. Her recent research interests include the transfer and impacts of microplastics in the northern Baltic Sea food webs.
Pinja Näkki, SYKE is a researcher currently finishing her PhD thesis on the fate and impacts of microplastics in seafloor sediments. She received her MSc in Ecology and Evolutionary Biology from the University of Helsinki (Finland) in 2016 and has since that studied the role of benthic fauna in redistributing microplastics, the sorption of hazardous substances to plastics, and the effects of tire rubber particles on soft sediment bivalves. She has taken part in several projects related to marine litter and has also wide experience in science communication and teaching.
Scientists involved in the HOTSPOT from the SYKE marine litter team from left to right: Pinja Näkki, Outi Setälä, Maiju Lehtiniemi. Photo: Kari Nurmi.