It is incredibly humbling to be included on this list, and to be named among people whose work is having a profound influence on global health. In recent years, we have become increasingly aware of the many challenges threatening the health of our planet and everything living on it. Plastic pollution is unquestionably among them, and our work over more than two decades has demonstrated the scale of the issue, and the potential harm it can cause. The current negotiations towards a Global Plastics Treaty are critical in addressing that, and they represent a generational opportunity to deliver a worldwide consensus that results in meaningful action.
Richard Thompson OBE FRS
Director of the Marine Institute
Read more about some of Professor Thompson's previous awards
International Marine Litter Research Unit
Marine litter is a global environmental problem with items of debris now contaminating habitats from the poles to the equator, from the sea surface to the deep sea.
Read more about our international marine litter research
- Microplastic revolutionary named in the inaugural TIME100 Health list 2 May 2024
- Escape the vapes: scientists call for global shift to curb consumer use of disposable technologies 25 April 2024
- Community beach clean-ups could beat high-tech solutions for clearing plastic pollution 23 April 2024
- International experts issue renewed call for Global Plastics Treaty to be grounded in robust science 18 April 2024
- Seychelles beach cleans demonstrate potential for citizen science to tackle marine litter 17 April 2024