Aja Trebec is a PhD candidate at the Biological Oceanography Group (GOB), graduated from Biological Sciences at the Marche Polytechnic University, in Italy. She continued her studies in the field of Marine Biology and acquired a master's degree (2021) with distinction, focusing on the characterization of photosynthesis and carbon allocation in marine microalgal species acclimated to different light regimes. Aja first met the Group through the Erasmus+ Traineeship Program, and joined them to work as a laboratory technician after finishing her studies in Italy. She has contributed to field sampling in the Canary Archipelago and analyzing samples back in the laboratory, as well as to scientific dissemination of the GOB’s projects, with the purpose of connecting the general public to the world of ocean science. Aja has recently started her PhD thesis, studying the impacts of multi-stressor controls on plankton communities, framed within one of the priority objectives of the OceanICU research project.