
Profiles
Dr Winnie Courtene-Jones
Post-Doctoral Research Fellow (Environmental Biology), Biodegradable Plastics
School of Biological and Marine Sciences (Faculty of Science and Engineering)
Biography
Biography
Winnie's research focuses on understanding the environmental fate and prevalence of conventional and biodegradable plastics & their impact on organisms and ecosystems.
Specifically, her experience focuses on i) quantifying plastic pollution, ii) identifying sources of waste and their pathways into the environment iii) environmental fate of plastic, iv) the impacts of plastic on organisms and ecosystems and v) providing evidence to support appropriate solutions to plastic waste.
Qualifications
Academic Appointments:
- NERC-funded 'Biodegradable bioplastics- Assessing the environmental risk' (Bio Plastic Risk)
2020-2021, Postdoctoral Research Fellow, University of Plymouth
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Technical lead for delivering consultancy, business or industrial research and innovation contracts pertaining to plastics.
2019-2021, Postdoctoral Research Fellow, University of Plymouth
- eXXpedition Science lead
- Thesis: "Microplastics in the deep sea ecosystem: a case study from the Rockall Trough, North East Atlantic Ocean"
Education:
2015- 2019 PhD "Microplastics in the deep sea ecosystem" University of the Highlands and Islands/Scottish Association for Marine Science
2012-2013 MRes (Distinction) Marine Biology, University of Plymouth
2009- 2011 BSc (1st class Hons.) Zoology and Animal Behaviour, University of Wales, Bangor
Professional membership
- International Marine Litter Research Unit
- Environmental and Applied Biology Research Group
- British Ecological Society
Roles on external bodies
2022, Editor of Special Collection 'Impact of Plastic Pollution on organisms and the environment' Emerging Topics in Life Science, Portland Press
2019- 2020, Member of the Working Group 'Orienting Young Scientists of EuroMarine'
2018 - 2019, Chair of the Working Group 'Orienting Young Scientists of EuroMarine'
Peer reviewer for:
- Scientific Reports
- Nature
- Environmental Pollution
- Environmental Science and Technology
- Marine Pollution Bulletin
- Frontiers
- Sustainability
- Waste Management
- Water Research
Research
Research
Research degrees awarded to supervised students
- 2021- Present, ResM Marine Biology, Sophie Oxley
- 2021- 2022, MRes Marine Biology, Holly Slade
- 2020-2021, MRes Marine Biology, Anna Tidy
- 2020-2021, MRes Marine Biology, Joshua Bresnahan
Grants & contracts
- 2021, DEFRA, Terrestrial borne litter in the marine environment (EV0496), ~£19,000
- 2020, Blue Marine Foundation, SAFE GEAR report, ~£10,000
- 2018, Challenger Society, Travel award, £500
- 2018, University of the Highland and Islands, £500
- 2017, EuroMarine, Working Group Workshop: Orienting Young Scientists of EuroMarine (OYSTER), €5000
- 2016, University of the Highlands and Islands, Travel award, £500
- 2016, Marine Alliance of Science and Technology for Scotland, Annual Conference, £500
- 2015, Strategic Insight Programme Award Higher Education Funding Council for Wales, £2000
Creative practice & artistic projects
- Plastics in the Deep, science art communication project with Juliana Corrales
Publications
Publications
Key publications
Key publications are highlighted
Journals
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- Courtene-Jones W. & Thompson, R. C. 2021 Terrestrial borne litter in the marine environment- evidence review and quantifying the issue. report for DEFRA
- SAPEA, 2020, Biodegradability of plastics in the open environment, A Scientific Perspective on Microplastics in Nature and Society
- Plastics in the Deep, science art communication project with Juliana Corrales
Personal
Personal
Reports & invited lectures
- 2022, Invited keynote 'Biodegradable plastics in the open environment' Forest Research Conference
- 2019, Invited speaker by Prof. Dame Carol Black, Principal of Newnham college to speak at Rosalind Franklin STEM conference, Newnham College, Cambridge University
- 2018, Microplastics in the deep-sea, invited lecture at Alfred-Wegener Institute, Germany
- 2018, Microplastics in the deep-sea, invited lecture at Plymouth Marine Laboratory
Conferences organised
- Scientific Committee for MICRO2022
- Marine Alliance of Science and Technology for Scotland, Annual General Meeting 2018, 'Microplastics' Session convener.
- Session chair, MICRO2020, International Conference (online)
Other academic activities
Media coverage:
LBC Radio, David Lammy. Live. October 2021
Royal Society of Chemistry podcast. Episode 3: microplastics are all around us
Sky News. Caribbean nations find that anti-plastic policies are not enough to prevent damage to coastline. print article & accompanying TV coverage. August 2021
- BBC, print article, Microplastics found in 150-year-old ocean sediment, May 2020
- Azores Publico, print article , Dois anos, um veleiro, 300 mulheres: a volta ao mundo para estudar o plástico no mar, November 2019
- Interview with Cleveland, November 2019
- EuroNews, print article, These 300 Brave Women are Sailing Across the World to Find a Solution to Plastic Pollution, 9th October 2019
- Channel 5 News, TV coverage, video interview covering launch of eXXpedition round the World, broadcast 8th October 2019
- Plymouth Herald, print article "All-female crew set sail from Plymouth on pioneering plastic pollution voyage" interview, published 8th October 2019
- Radio Plymouth, Radio interview, "'Round the World' voyage investigating plastic pollution sets sail" audio interview broadcast 8th October 2019
- BBC Spotlight, TV coverage, video interview, broadcast 8th October 2019
- Sky News, Live TV broadcast discussing the Launch of eXXpedition Round the World, broadcast 8th October 2019
- Sky News, TV broadcast, video interview, full coverage of the launch of eXXpedition Round the World, 8th October 2019
- iNews, print article, 'Why 300 women are giving up their day jobs to search the ocean for plastic', published 26th September 2019
Additional information
Awards:
2017, National Student of the Year, awarded by P1 Marine Foundation
2017, Johanna Fehling Memorial Prize for research Achievement, awarded by the Scottish Association for Marine Science
Selected outreach:
- Live webinar for 'Exploring by the Seat of Your Pants': 'Sailing, Science and Solution'
Links
twitter: @WinnieCJ