Academic Career

Giovanni Passalacqua holds a Master’s degree in Civil Engineering from the University of Messina. After a period of professional experience with engineering firms and design studios, from 2021 to 2024 he completed a PhD at the same university, conducting experimental research on the dynamics of non-floating plastic debris in coastal environments. During his PhD, he also spent a research period at the laboratories of the Technical University of Denmark (DTU).

Since 2024, he has been a Research Fellow at the University of Messina (Minosse project) and subsequently at the University of Catania (Platone project), where he conducts tests and analyses on the dynamics of floating plastic particles, with particular focus on transport velocity and beaching mechanisms along the shoreline profile.

PUBLICATIONS PRODUCED

● Journal Articles

Bonanno, G., Passalacqua, G., Iuppa, C., Fuhrman, D. R., & Faraci, C. (2025). Wave-induced incipient motion of non-buoyant plastic particles: Laboratory experiments. Coastal Engineering, 104848.

Iuppa, C., Passalacqua, G., & Faraci, C. (2024). An equilibrium criterion for plastic debris fate in wave-driven transport. Marine Pollution Bulletin, 206, 116758.

Passalacqua, G., Iuppa, C., & Faraci, C. (2023). A simplified experimental method to estimate the transport of non-buoyant plastic particles due to waves by 2d image processing. Journal of Marine Science and Engineering, 11(8), 1599.

● Conference Proceedings

Iuppa, C., Passalacqua, G., Chebbi, I., & Faraci, C. (2025, October). A numerical tool for buoyant plastic debris transport prediction in the nearshore zone. In 2025 IEEE International Workshop on Metrology for the Sea; Learning to Measure Sea Health Parameters (MetroSea) (pp. 312-316). IEEE.

Passalacqua, G., Chebbi, I., Iuppa, C., Narzisi, F., Cavallaro, L., Musumeci, R. E., … & Faraci, C. (2025, October). Experimental Study on Nearshore Transport of Buoyant Plastic Particles Under Irregular Waves. In 2025 IEEE International Workshop on Metrology for the Sea; Learning to Measure Sea Health Parameters (MetroSea) (pp. 538-543). IEEE.

Tan, R. İ., Passalacqua, G., Carstensen, S., Iuppa, C., Faraci, C., Larsen, B. E., … & Fuhrman, D. R. (2024). Interaction between Microplastic Particles and Submerged Vegetation Canopies in Waves Plus Current Environments. Coastal Engineering Proceedings, (38), 31-31.

Passalacqua, G., Tan, R. I., Carstensen, S., Iuppa, C., Faraci, C., Eltard-Larsen, B., … & Fuhrman, D. R. (2024). Experimental Study of Microplastic Particle Transport around Sea Gravel in Waves Plus Current Conditions. In 38th International Conference on Coastal Engineering.

Faraci, C., Bonanno, G., Passalacqua, G., Cucinotta, F., & Iuppa, C. (2024). THE TRANSPORT OF PLASTIC DEBRIS IN COASTAL SEAS: RESULTS OF PHYSICAL MODELING. Coastal Engineering Proceedings, (38), 39-39.

Iuppa, C., Passalacqua, G., Fuhrman, D. R., & Faraci, C. (2023, October). A non-invasive laboratory technique for wave-driven plastic debris motion detection. In 2023 IEEE International Workshop on Metrology for the Sea; Learning to Measure Sea Health Parameters (MetroSea) (pp. 410-414). IEEE.