Overview
Winnie is an marine biologist and plastic pollution expert whose research focuses on understanding the ecological impacts of anthropogenic stressors. In particular her research interests encompass the environmental prevalence, fate and impacts of (micro)plastics on organisms and ecosystem functions, to assess environmental risk and supporting effective interventions.
Since completing her PhD (SAMS, 2019), where she researched the current and historic presence of microplastic pollution in the deep sea ecosystem, Winnie spent 5 years working within the International Marine Litter Research Unit, at the University of Plymouth.
Her research has led her to study plastic pollution in a variety of terrestrial and marine environments, from agricultural soils and coastline to some of the most remote parts of our planet including the deep sea and oceanic gyres.
She has extensive experience conducting research at sea and in remote locations (e.g. Belize, Tanzania, and she has sailed the North Atlantic and South Pacific Ocean). As ' Round the World science lead' she led research examining the global land-sea flows and movement of plastic pollution and worked with >240 women citizen scientists from 40 nationalities. As part of the NERC-funded 鈥溾�� project, she has focussed on the environmental degradation and impacts of biodegradable and bio-based plastics (often termed as 鈥榖ioplastics鈥� or 鈥榓lternative plastics鈥�).
Winnie is a passionate science communicator and authority on (micro)plastic pollution; she has spoken at the UN Global Plastics Treaty negotiations in Canada, and the British and European Parliaments. She is an active member of the , (co-leading working groups on 'Microplastics', and 'Alternative & substitute Plastics') which supports progress towards the development of a legally binding instrument to address plastic pollution. She attended the 3rd and 4th Intergovernmental Negotiating Committee sessions.
Qualifications
- PhD: Microplastics in the deep-sea ecosystem: A study from the Rockall Trough, North East Atlantic Ocean
The Scottish Association for Marine Science, 2015鈥�2019 - MSc: MRes Marine Biology
University of Plymouth, 2012鈥�2013 - BSc: Zoology and Animal Behaviour
2008鈥�2011
Postgraduate Project Opportunities
Publications
2025
- Published
Yates, J., Deeney, M., Munck, J., Carney Almroth, B., Dignac, M.-F., Castillo Castillo , A., Courtene-Jones, W., Kadiyala, S., Kumar, E., Stoett, P., Wang, M. & Farrelly, T., 6 Mar 2025, In: Communications Earth and Environment. 6
Research output: Contribution to journal 鈥� Article 鈥� peer-review
2024
- Published
Courtene-Jones, W., De Falco, F., Burgevin, F., Handy, R. D. & Thompson, R. C., 19 Nov 2024, In: Environmental Science and Technology. 58, 46, p. 20366-20377 12 p.
Research output: Contribution to journal 鈥� Article 鈥� peer-review - Published
Courtene-Jones, W., Burgevin, F., Munns, L., Shillam, M. B. T., De Falco, F., Buchard, A., Handy, R. D., Thompson, R. C. & Hanley, M. E., 15 Jul 2024, In: Science of the Total Environment. 934, p. 172806
Research output: Contribution to journal 鈥� Article 鈥� peer-review - Published
Courtene-Jones, W., Cheung, S. W. H., Thompson, R. C. & Hanley, M. E., 1 Nov 2024, In: Environmental Pollution. 360, 124573.
Research output: Contribution to journal 鈥� Article 鈥� peer-review - Published
Mendrik, F., Farrelly, T., Reynaud, S., Courtene-Jones, W. & Thompson, R. C., Sept 2024.
Research output: Working paper - Published
Brander, S., De Falco, F., Kelly, M., Weis, J., Carney Almroth, B., Baztan, J., Sparks, C., Courtene-Jones, W. & Thompson, R. C., Sept 2024, Scientists Coalition.
Research output: Working paper - Published
Al-jaibacji, R., Courtene-Jones, W., Reynaud, S., Sparks, C., Baztan, J., Kelly, M. & Thompson, R. C., Sept 2024, Scientists Coalition.
Research output: Working paper - Published
Courtene-Jones, W., 31 Jul 2024, 26 p. UK Parliament.
Research output: Other contribution - Published
Thompson, R. C., Courtene-Jones, W., Boucher, J., Pahl, S., Raubenheimer, K. & Koelmans, A. A., 25 Oct 2024, In: Science. 386, 6720, p. eadl2746
Research output: Contribution to journal 鈥� Review article 鈥� peer-review - Published
Booth, A., S酶rensen, L., Brander, S., Weis, J., Courtene-Jones, W., Parker-Jurd, F. & Thompson, R. C., 23 Oct 2024.
Research output: Working paper
2023
- Published
Courtene-Jones, W., De Falco, F. & Napper, I., 2023, Plastic Pollution in the Global Ocean.
Research output: Chapter in Book/Report/Conference proceeding 鈥� Chapter - Published
Courtene-Jones, W., 2023, 3 p.
Research output: Other contribution 鈥� peer-review
2022
- Published
Courtene-Jones, W., Mart铆nez Rodr铆guez, A. & Handy, R. D., 1 Dec 2022, In: Emerging topics in life sciences. 6, 4, p. 423-433 11 p.
Research output: Contribution to journal 鈥� Review article 鈥� peer-review - Published
Courtene-Jones, W., Clark, N. J. & Thompson, R. C., 1 Dec 2022, In: Emerging topics in life sciences. 6, 4, p. 333-337 5 p.
Research output: Contribution to journal 鈥� Review article 鈥� peer-review - Published
Courtene-Jones, W., Clark, N. J. & Thompson, R. C., 1 Dec 2022, In: Emerging topics in life sciences. 6, 4, p. 435-439 5 p.
Research output: Contribution to journal 鈥� Article 鈥� peer-review - Published
Courtene-Jones, W., van Gennip, S., Penicaud, J., Penn, E. & Thompson, R. C., Dec 2022, In: Marine pollution bulletin. 185, Pt B, p. 114371
Research output: Contribution to journal 鈥� Article 鈥� peer-review
2021
- Published
Courtene-Jones, W., Maddalene, T., James, M. K., Smith, N. S., Youngblood, K., Jambeck, J. R., Earthrowl, S., Delvalle-Borrero, D., Penn, E. & Thompson, R. C., 25 Nov 2021, In: Science of the Total Environment. 797, p. 149098
Research output: Contribution to journal 鈥� Article 鈥� peer-review
2020
- Published
Liu, K., Courtene-Jones, W., Wang, X., Song, Z., Wei, N. & Li, D., 1 Nov 2020, In: Water research. 186, p. 116403
Research output: Contribution to journal 鈥� Review article 鈥� peer-review - Published
Courtene-Jones, W., Quinn, B., Ewins, C., Gary, S. F. & Narayanaswamy, B. E., May 2020, In: Marine pollution bulletin. 154, p. 111092
Research output: Contribution to journal 鈥� Article 鈥� peer-review
2019
- Published
Courtene-Jones, W., Quinn, B., Ewins, C., Gary, S. F. & Narayanaswamy, B. E., Jan 2019, In: Environmental Pollution. 244, p. 503-512 10 p.
Research output: Contribution to journal 鈥� Article 鈥� peer-review
2018
- Published
Nuuttila, H. K., Brundiers, K., Dahne, M., Koblitz, J. C., Thomas, L., Courtene-Jones, W., Evans, P. G. H., Turner, J. R., Bennell, J. & Hiddink, J. G., Dec 2018, In: Methods in Ecology and Evolution. 9, 12, p. 2362-2371
Research output: Contribution to journal 鈥� Article 鈥� peer-review
2017
- Published
Nuuttila, H. K., Courtene-Jones, W., Baulch, S., Simon, M. & Evans, P. G. H., 21 Feb 2017, In: Marine Biology. 164, 3, p. 50
Research output: Contribution to journal 鈥� Article 鈥� peer-review - Published
Courtene-Jones, W., Quinn, B., Gary, S. F., Mogg, A. O. M. & Narayanaswamy, B. E., Dec 2017, In: Environmental Pollution. 231, Pt 1, p. 271-280 10 p.
Research output: Contribution to journal 鈥� Article 鈥� peer-review
Activities
2025
Presented Scientists Coalition for an Effective Plastics Treaty analyses of text from the Chair's Text of the Plastic Treaty Intergovernmental Negotiating Committee during a webinar for members across Asia-Pacific, Africa and Europe.
22 Apr 2025
Activity: Invited talk (Speaker)Invited webinar, 'Microplastic pollution and solutions' for Environment Platform Wales, as part of their Insights Wales series.
19 Mar 2025
Links:
Invited PhD examiner: "Microplastic sedimentation in global, Arctic, and fjord settings: Pollution events and environmental residency for heterogenous plastics" at the Norwegian University of Science and Technology
Mar 2025
Activity: Examination (Examiner)Invited webinar "Microplastic Pollution and Solutions" for the biological Recording Company
25 Feb 2025
Links:
Contribution to the Scientists' Coalition for and Effective Plastics Treaty response to the World Trade Organisation Dialogue on Plastics Pollution Guiding Questions
10 Feb 2025 鈥� 5 Mar 2025
Links:
2024
Presented at the pan-Wales plastic knowledge exchange workshop for Welsh Government-Academia, hosted by Environment Platform Wales
17 Dec 2024 鈥� 18 Dec 2024
Activity: Participation in Academic workshop, seminar, course (Invited speaker)Research cited within the UK Parliament POST Note on 'Reducing plastic waste'
31 Jul 2024
Links:
During the 4th Intergovernmental Negotiating Committee meeting on the development of the UN Global Plastics Treaty, I participated in a multi-disciplinary and cross-sectoral panel about the role of plastic alternatives and substitutes within the context of the Plastic Treaty.
26 Apr 2024
Links:
I gave an invited talk on biodegradable plastics at the UN Environment Program's "Capacity development to catalyse actions and commitments at the national and global level to reduce plastic pollution including in the marine environment鈥� held as part of the 4th Intergovernmental Negotiation Committee meeting for a Global Plastics Treaty, (2024) Ottawa, Canada
21 Apr 2024
Activity: Invited talk (Invited speaker)Independent review of the Ocean Plastics Leadership Networks' briefing "INC-5 Negotiators鈥� Brief to Harmonized Safety and Sustainability Criteria (HSC)
for Products & Systems (Plastics, Plastic Alternatives, and Non-plastic Substitutes)"
2024
Activity: Publication peer-review (Editorial board member)
2022
Scientific Committee for the MICRO International Conference (2022, 2024)
2022 鈫�
Activity: Participation in Academic conference (Member of programme committee)Active member and co-lead of working groups on 'Microplastics' and 'Alternative plastics/Biodegradable and bio-based plastics'
2022 鈫�
Activity: Membership of network (Member)Professional Member of the Society of of Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry (SETAC)
2022 鈫�
Activity: Membership of network (Member)