Contact details

Ana Rita Marques Mendes, PhD
Marine Scientist | Environmental Microplastics & Analytical Spectroscopy
Postdoctoral Researcher
Earth and Life Sciences, School of Natural Sciences and Ryan Institute
University of Galway, Ireland, H91 TK33
Tel: +353 91 493200

ORCID code: 0000-0002-5910-5478
Research gate: https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Ana-Mendes-34
Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/armm83/

Short biography

Ana Rita Marques Mendes is a marine scientist with more than 10 years of experience in marine environmental research, with a strong focus on microplastics in aquatic systems. She obtained her PhD in Marine Science from the University of Galway in 2023, specializing in analytical techniques for the extraction, identification, and characterization of microplastics from complex environmental matrices. Her expertise includes Raman spectroscopy, FTIR-based approaches, sedimentological analyses, and multidisciplinary data interpretation. Her research addresses the distribution, sources, and environmental behaviour of microplastics in marine sediments, with an emphasis on method development and high-quality scientific dissemination.

Research interests

• Environmental microplastics and nanoplastics
• Raman and FTIR spectroscopy for polymer identification
• Marine sediments and contaminant–matrix interactions
• Sources, transport, and fate of plastic debris in marine environments
• Analytical method development for complex environmental samples