My Research

Global demand for plastics are higher now than ever. Conservative estimations for worldwide plastic production are approximately 335 million tonnes (Mt) annually, a figure which has doubled in the last 15 years alone. Large volumes of this unrecycled waste stream accumulate in the ocean. Currently 4.8-12.7 Mt of land-based plastics enter the oceans per year, and this is predicted to increase tenfold by 2025. It’s widely known that plastic waste causes harm to marine life, notably through entanglement, smothering and ingestion. These potentially fatal effects are compounded by the fact that plastics take decades if not centuries to decompose.

Less is known about the effects of the chemical substances (known as ‘additives’) contained within all plastics. My current MSc project aims to shed light on this topic using hermit crabs (Pagurus bernhardus), a widely abundant marine invertebrate, as a model species. Recent studies show that additives leeching from plastics have the potential to cause physiological and behavioural harm to marine life, though with the countless number of additives used in plastic production it is difficult to know which cause harm. My research focuses on oleamide (cis-9,10-octadecenamide), a widely abundant slipping agent used in various plastic products. I aim to firstly identify how readily oleamide leeches from plastic products using solid phase extraction (SPE) and gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS). I will then use a Firesting O₂ respirometer and bioassay analysis to understand the physiological and behavioural effects of oleamide on P. bernhardus.

2018-Present MSc Biological Sciences, University of Hull
2015-2018 BSc Marine & Freshwater Biology (First Class), University of Hull