NIB

• Department of Organisms and Ecosystem Research
• Marine Biology Station Piran

Researcher unique identifiers: 

ORCID: https://orcid.org/my-orcid?orcid=0009-0007-6069-9844

SCOPUS: https://www.scopus.com/authid/detail.uri?authorId=55915428700

ARIS: https://cris.cobiss.net/ecris/si/en/researcher/33777 

Main research activities:

• environmental microplastics research
• development of harmonized methodologies for monitoring microplastics across marine, freshwater, and groundwater ecosystems in multiple matrices (water, sediments, organisms)
• development of methodologies for monitoring microplastics in the air and precipitations
• interactions between microplastics and microbial communities - effects of microplastics on microbial community structure and function, plastisphere development
• effects of microplastics on organism level (mussel, fish, isopods, lizards,…)
• effects of microplastics on ecosystem level – microplastic as a vector for transfer of pathogens across ecosystems
• transfer of microplastics in groundwater systems (alluvial, karst) and marine environments (sea currents)

 
Education: 

 
Positions: 

Additional research achievements:

• Mark Vincenc Lipold Award in 2026 for the development and patented Microplastic sampling device.
• Patent in 2025 – Microplastics sampling device for sampling in water column  
• Mali, N., Kovač Viršek, M., Bizjak, N., Bizjak, T. Liquid sampling device, method of sampling liquids with said device and use thereof: patent SI 26579 A, 2025-06-30. https://worldwide.espacenet.com/patent/search/family/095449431/publication/SI26579A?q=pn%3DSI26579A 

 
Projects: 

 
Important publications: 

• Colmenarejo Calero, E., Kovač Viršek, M., Mali, N. 2026. Baseline Assessment of Microplastic Occurrence in Groundwater from Alluvial and Karst Aquifers. In Press
• Kovač Viršek, M., Bizjak, T., Bizjak, N., Mali, N. 2025. Sampling and Identification of Microplastics in Groundwater. JoVE, 225, e68652. doi:10.3791/68652
• Colmenarejo Calero, E., Kovač Viršek, M., Mali, N. 2024. Microplastics in groundwater: pathways, occurrence, and monitoring challenges. Water, 16(9), 1228. https://doi.org/10.3390/w16091228 
• Zidar, Ž., Kovač Viršek, M., Klančnik, A., Janecko, N. 2024. Microbial communities on microplastics from seawater and mussels: Insights from the northern Adriatic Sea. Sci. Total Environ. 949, 175130, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scitotenv.2024.175130
• Matjašič, T., Mori, N., Hostnik, I., Bajt, O., Kovač Viršek, M. 2023. Microplastic pollution in small rivers along rural–urban gradients: variations across catchments and between water column and sediments. Sci. Total Environ. 858, 160043. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scitotenv.2022.160043
• Kozjek, M., Vengust, D., Radošević, T., Žitko, G., Koren, S., Toplak, N., ... & Kovač Viršek, M. 2023. Dissecting giant hailstones: A glimpse into the troposphere with its diverse bacterial communities and fibrous microplastics. Science of the total environment, 856, 158786. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scitotenv.2022.158786
• Grego, M., Kovač Viršek, M., Bajt, O. 2022. Microplastics in seawater and sediments: distribution and transport. In: Bonanno, G. (ed.), Orlando-Bonaca, M. (ed.). Plastic pollution and marine conservation: approaches to protect biodiversity and marine life. 1st ed. London [etc.]: Academic Press: Elsevier. 31-73, https://doi.org/10.1016/B978-0-12-822471-7.00002-X
• Palatinus, A., Kovač Viršek, M., Robič, U., Grego, M., Bajt, O., Šiljić, J., ... & Peterlin, M. 2019. Marine litter in the Croatian part of the middle Adriatic Sea: Simultaneous assessment of floating and seabed macro and micro litter abundance and composition. Marine pollution bulletin, 139, 427-439. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.marpolbul.2018.12.038
• Zeri, C., Adamopoulou, A., Varezić, D. B., Fortibuoni, T., Kovač Viršek, M., Kržan, A., ... & Vlachogianni, T. 2018. Floating plastics in Adriatic waters (Mediterranean Sea): From the macro-to the micro-scale. Marine pollution bulletin, 136, 341-350. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.marpolbul.2018.09.016
• Kovač Viršek, M., Lovšin, M. N., Koren, Š., Kržan, A., Peterlin, M. 2017. Microplastics as a vector for the transport of the bacterial fish pathogen species Aeromonas salmonicida. Marine pollution bulletin, 125(1-2), 301-309. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.marpolbul.2017.08.024
• Kovač Viršek, M., Palatinus, A., Koren, Š., Peterlin, M., Horvat, P., Kržan, A. 2016. Protocol for microplastics sampling on the sea surface and sample analysis. JoVE, (118), 55161. doi: 10.3791/55161