Explore cutting-edge oceanographic research in this plenary session from the Ocean Sciences Meeting 2020, featuring talks by two distinguished scientists. Dive into Heidi Sosik's work on automated underwater analyzers that revolutionize the study of microscopic marine organisms and their impact on ocean food chains, climate interactions, and harmful algal blooms. Then, discover Erik van Sebille's research on ocean currents and their role in transporting water, nutrients, organisms, and plastic pollution. Learn about the TOPIOS project's mission to create a 3D map of marine plastic pollution and its sources. Gain insights from these leading experts in biological and physical oceanography as they discuss their innovative approaches to understanding and addressing critical ocean-related challenges.