Marcia Sittenthaler

Marcia Sittenthaler is a researcher at the Institute of Wildlife Biology and Game Management, part of the Department of Ecosystem Management, Climate and Biodiversity at the University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences, Vienna. She holds a PhD (2020), MSc (2012), and BSc (2009) in wildlife and environmental sciences from the same institution.

• Doctoral studies (2015-2020): Natural Resources and Life Sciences, Vienna
• Master of Science (2009-2012): Wildlife Ecology and Management
• Bachelor (2006-2009): Environment and Bio Resources Management

Her research focuses on conservation genetics, wildlife ecology, and environmental pollution, particularly microplastics in aquatic ecosystems. Key projects include non-invasive genetic census of otters, genetic differentiation of black grouse, and microplastic contamination studies. Her work integrates molecular ecology with field-based conservation strategies.

Notable awards:

• Fritz-Frank Award (2021)
• Carl von Schreibers Forschungspreis (2015)

She has supervised 3 theses, including Sophie Layendecker's (2023) Microplastic intake of otters and Florian Kunz's (2017) Black grouse genetic diversity. Active in scientific community service, she serves as a reviewer for journals like Mammalian Biology and Wildlife Biology, and is a member of the IUCN Otter Specialist Group (since 2012).