Dr. Lisa Erdle is the Director of Science & Innovation at the 5 Gyres Institute. She is a microplastics researcher, lifelong sailor, and is passionate about keeping waterways clean for wildlife and people. Lisa has worked in the microplastics field since 2014, first sailing on a tall ship researching microplastics in the South Salish Sea. Lisa completed her PhD at the University of Toronto, where her research focused on sources, fate and effects of microfibers in the environment. Born and raised in Toronto, Lisa grew up swimming and sailing on the Great Lakes and holds a deep love of the water.