I am a PhD researcher, specialising in coastal modelling and plastic pollution investigating the processes which govern microplastic movement as it moves from terrestrial to marine environments. 

I am also a Research Officer for the NERC-funded Plastic Vectors project investigating controls on dispersal patterns of macroplastics and microplastics, including their interactions with pathogenic microorganisms.

I have a keen interest in science communication and how best we can communicate key environmental issues to various audiences. I am a regular commentator on marine conservation issues on BBC Radio Cymru and have appeared on S4C, BBC Wales and Channel 5 television programmes.

I am a NERC-funded PhD researcher through the Envision Doctoral Training Programme, in my final year of study. By using a range of numerical modelling approaches, I am investigating the role of fronts and secondary flows on microplastic dispersal and how these processes impact how plastic pollution in transported from terrestrial to marine environments. 

In addition to my PhD studies, I am also a Research Project Support Officer in Coastal Modelling developing modelling techniques with application to real estuarine case studies to help predict and understand dispersal processes in estuarine environments as part of the NERC-funded Plastic Vectors Project. 

Email: niajones@bangor.ac.uk

Twitter: @_niahjones

Supervision:

To present, I have supervised 3 student projects to completion as co-supervisor:

William James (MSci, Marine Biology and Zoology, 2022): Investigating the spatial and temporal variability of microplastic in the Menai Strait
Stephanie Barton (MSc, Marine Biology, 2021): Mapping the spatial and temporal variability of microplastic in the Irish Sea
Amelia Bywater (MSc, Marine Environmental Protection, 2021): Investigating microplastic pollution in the Conwy Estuary

Demonstrating

I have been a demonstrator and teaching assistant on the following modules within the Schools of Ocean and Natural Sciences, Bangor University:

Workshops and Seminars: 

While studying for my PhD I have developed and facilitated three workshops series on various aspects of programming and numerical modelling: 

2023 | Beginner Python for Ocean Sciences 
Wrote and facilitated a series of seminars on the installation and use of the Python programming languages for data and ocean science applications covering popular packages including numpy, pandas and matplotlib. 
2022 | British Council funded Particle Tracking Workshops
Developed and led a series of plastic particle tracking workshops using github and Python through Jupyter Notebook, delivered across Zoom to students in Indonesia as part of a knowledge exchange between Bangor University and Indonesian students and academics.
2021 | Bangor University Delf3D FM Workshops
Developed and led a series of workshops over Teams for staff and students at Bangor University’s School of Ocean Science on the use of the Delft3D FM hydrodynamic model.

• British Council: Challenge Prize, Research Link Climate Change. Mapping marine litter pathways and sea-level rise in Indonesia (£9,795, CI, 2021)
• EU Erasmus+ Grant to attend the CERES International Fieldwork Coordinator Training course (£500, 2021)
• NERC PhD Scholarship through the Envision Doctoral Training Programme (2019)
• CUROP (Cardiff University Research Opportunity Placement) funding for Summer Research Placement (2018)

Select outreach, popular science, and media:
The following list is a selection of my recent science communication portfolio. In addition, I am a regular commentator on environmental and marine conservation issues on BBC Radio Cymru’s news programmes through the medium of Welsh.

Television
S4C Cynefin: Y Fenai
S4C Heno Interview for Welsh Beaches Week
S4C Ffeil Interview for World Ocean’s Day

Radio
Panelist on BBC Radio Cymru Darogan Degawd (Predicting the Decade)
BBC Radio Cymru Yfory Newdd (A New Tomorrow)
BBC Radio Wales Science Cafe: Microplastic Pollution

Online
Changing Streams Podcast: Plastic and Our Oceans Panellist
Environment Platform Wales In:conversation: Towards plastic-free waterways in Wales Panellist
Size of Wales Presenter of bilingual video series on Forests

Print media
Wales Arts Review Microplastic Pollution: A Macro Problem
"Game-Changer" in Cardiff Connect Alumni Magazine

In-person events
Bangor COP26 Global Day of Action Speech on Plastic Pollution and Climate Change