I am a benthic ecologist focussing on the deep sea and Arctic ecosystems, specifically studying the impacts of biotic, abiotic and anthropogenic inputs on the faunal community. I am increasingly focussing on the distribution and abundance of microplastics in the world’s oceans.

The deep sea is by far the largest ecosystem on the planet. It harbours many fascinating habitats including underwater mountains through to the nearby continental margins.  My deep-sea research interests are in the diversity, composition and structure of the deep water fauna living on or in the sediments and how these relate to the different environmental variables that interact and influence the fauna, ranging from, changes in temperature as a result of internal tides, to habitat heterogeneity and impacts from a changing climate.  I am particularly interested in the fauna that live on seamounts and banks as well as the soft sediment found on the continental margins in all the major oceans including the NE Atlantic and polar seas.

In addition my research focus is looking at plastics, specifically microplastics, found in the marine environment. Microplastics, particles < 5 mm in size, are of particular biological concern as they can be ingested by a wide diversity of organisms, which have been shown to suffer negative impacts as a consequence. The long term fate of marine microplastics is not well known; however it is hypothesised that the deep sea may be the final repository for this pollutant. Assessing the input sources, transport routes and 'lifecycle' of marine microplastics are fundamental questions to understanding the impacts of plastic pollution and ensure adequate mitigation measures are in place at both a regional and global level.