Pioneers of marine plastics research
‘We can’t carry on’: the godfather of microplastics on how to stop them. An interview with Professor Richard Thompson
Over two decades, the award-winning and highly-cited research and expertise of the University’s
Marine Institute has informed UK and international policy to date – in turn helping to build momentum and inform the detail of future global action. The team’s 2004 landmark paper,
Lost at Sea: Where is all the Plastic?, was the first to describe microplastics in the ocean, and they have continued to contribute fundamental understanding of microplastics ever since.
The International Marine Litter Research have pioneered methods for monitoring and tracking marine plastics, the effects of plastics on marine life, economies and human health and wellbeing, as well as solutions to mitigate plastic pollution.