Annie Dowse
I am a doctoral researcher in the geography department, researching aeolian-driven microplastic transportation through the atmosphere, from terrestrial and marine environments.
I have studied microplastics throughout my undergraduate and master’s degrees, and am interested in how they are transported to, and deposited in, remote locations far from their source. As plastic production and consumption continues to grow rapidly across the globe, I think it is important for us to investigate how these tiny plastic particles persist in our natural environments, so that we can better understand their effects on humans, animals, and the environment.
The map I am holding is of my fieldwork site on the Isle of Skye, a remote Scottish island which, sadly, is highly polluted by both plastic and microplastic litter. I have always loved collecting samples in the field, and I hope that by undertaking this fieldwork, I will be able to contribute to our understanding of microplastic pollution of remote locations."