Ika PAUL-PONT

Ika PAUL-PONT is a CNRS Researcher at the LEMAR Laboratory (Laboratory of Excellence for Marine Research) within the University of Brest. Her work focuses on ecotoxicology and physiology of marine bivalves, particularly studying microplastic and nanoplastic impacts on coastal ecosystems. She leads three core research axes: microplastic contamination dynamics, microbial colonization of plastics, and plastic toxicity assessment across marine organisms.

Key affiliations include the GDR Polymers and Oceans network and participation in projects like MicroCO2sme and NANOPLASTICS. Her research combines field sampling, molecular biology techniques (e.g., Py-GC-HRMS), and in vitro/in vivo ecotoxicology assays to evaluate effects at molecular-to-ecosystem scales. Notable contributions include analyzing plastic additives' leaching, studying oyster herpesvirus transmission, and assessing pearl farming's microplastic impacts.

Her work bridges environmental science and policy, as seen in collaborative projects like Mission Tara Microplastics and advocacy for reducing scientific plastic waste. She collaborates internationally on viral pathogen dynamics in oysters and has pioneered protocols for standardized microplastic detection in seafood.