Marko Branica

Marko Branica(1931,Zagreb- 2004,Zagreb) was aCroatianchemistknown for his investigations ofelectrochemicalmethods for theenvironmental analysis.For his research he was awarded theHeineken Prizefor Environmental Sciences.

From 1952 to 1956 Branica studiedchemistryinZagreb.In 1963 he obtained his PhD from the Faculty of Science, University of Zagreb.In 1970 he became a senior scientist at theRuđer Bošković Instituteand in 1997 a full professor at the Faculty of Science, University of Zagreb. He was an expert of theInternational Atomic Energy Agencyfor nuclear materials and nuclear plants safety problems and an expert ofUNESCO.Between 1970 and 1995 he was several times a chairman of the Marine Chemistry Committee of theMediterranean Science Commissionand in 1992 became Croatia's national delegate on CIESM Board, a post he held till the end of his life.

His scientific interests werepolarographyand other electrochemical methods,physical chemistryofseawater,oceanography,ecology,extraction of inorganic substances with organic solvents and investigation of the presence oftrace metalsin natural andpolluted waters.His most prominent achievement was the development ofpseudopolarography,the method that enables the speciation of metal ions at trace concentrations. He published more than 250 papers in international scientific journals and numerous scientific and technical reports.

Honors and awards

• Member of Polarographic Society of London
• Member of Academia Europaea (London) since 1992
• Member of European Academy of Sciences and Arts since 1992
• Member of International Commission for the Exploration of the Mediterranean
• Ruđer Bošković award for science in 1982
• Dr A.H. Heineken Prize for Environmental Sciencesin 1992
• National Life achievement Award for chemistry in 1996