I have been working on improving how we count and measure plastic eaten by seabirds such as the Flesh-footed Shearwater, which lives in the Pacific. These birds find plastic floating in the ocean and, mistaking it for food, feed it to their chicks. Birds have been found with up to 150 pieces of plastic in their digestive system by the time they fledge, and ingesting plastic is implicated in serious health issues, including new diseases such as ‘plasticosis’.
Quantitative Photography
Humans aren’t very good at judging colour, or size. By using photography, we can automate the measurement of plastics and improve how quickly, accurately, and reliably we record these properties when monitoring plastic pollution in the environment.
SEABIRD GROUp, 2024
This poster was displayed at the Seabird Group XVI conference in Coimbra, Portugal, highlighting my work on quantitative photography of plastic pollution. You can see the full poster at the link below.
Vibrational Spectroscopy
Raman and Infrared spectroscopy are valuable tools for identifying what materials make up the plastics that pollute our oceans. I am working on improving how we use these tools when studying plastic ingested by seabirds and other wildlife, and how we can overcome the challenge of identifying plastics that are heavily contaminated by biological material.
Spring Sci-X 2024
I presented this poster at the Spring Sci-X conference Glasgow, showcasing my work on vibrational spectroscopy of plastic pollution. You can see the full poster at the link below.
Joby Razzell Hollis 
