Dr Shiye Zhao is a researcher at Japan Agency for Marine-Earth Science and Technology (JAMSTEC). His past and current work mainly focus on scientific questions derived from plastic marine pollution and its interaction with microbes. Employing the techniques of oceanography, microbiology, biogeochemistry and physiology, his work seeks to understand the budget, fate, and ecological implications of plastics from coastal to open-ocean ecosystems. He is committed to integrate his research findings into policy-making and management process by working with the regional networks.