The Mid-Atlantic Regional Council on the Ocean is pleased to announce its new MARCO Microplastics Fellow, Joe Barnes. This fellowship was developed to respond to a need that the Mid-Atlantic Marine Debris Work Group identified last year. Following the release of the draft Interagency Marine Debris Coordinating Committee Report on Microfiber Pollution, the work group agreed that in order to engage in the microspace, we needed a better understanding of the science. Around the same time, the Mid-Atlantic Marine Debris Action Plan was undergoing a mid-point review where one of the actions in the microplastic/microfibers debris area was shown to have no progress. This action calls for microplastic and microfiber research webinars to share research and discuss future needs. Since it was agreed that this is an important action given the rapid rate of scientific development in the microplastics field, the work group agreed to take this on and provide a professional development opportunity by hiring a microplastics fellow to lead this effort. As such, Joe is tasked with developing a quarterly webinar series on microplastics and microfibers that is tailored to the community’s need for the state of the science.
We are so lucky to have Joe as he brings a diverse background and a deep passion for this work. Joe earned his B.A. in biology and B.S. in aquaculture fishery technology from the University of Rhode Island, where he engaged in several research projects spanning oyster health with climate change, larval oyster survival, and harmful algal blooms. An engaging science communicator and community organizer, Joe has been involved with legislative advocacy with the Sunrise Movement and as board member of the environmental justice non-profit IREJN. Professionally, Joe has been a lab analyst testing wastewater for toxins, a lab manager at an aquaculture facility, and an environmental educator. Joe earned his M.S. in environmental science at American University, where he researched the interactions between microorganisms and microplastics. There, he also began community organizing around microplastics and water quality with local nonprofits and educational institutions.
Currently, Joe is the marine debris project coordinator at Old Dominion University with Virginia Sea Grant, where he is building a coalition and social marketing campaign around marine debris issues from plastic waste to abandoned vessels. Joe has appeared on NBC interviews, the “How to Protect the Ocean” and “Becoming a Scientist” podcasts, and can be found giving talks around the Mid-Atlantic. Joe will attest that 70 percent of his personality revolves around microplastics, so he is ecstatic to join MARCO as their Microplastics Fellow and looks forward to building connections with the organization and sparking meaningful discussions on microplastics. Please join us in welcoming Joe!