Dr Imogen Napper is a marine scientist specialising in plastic pollution. Imogen completed her PhD at the University of Plymouth and focussed on the sources of plastic into the environment from ways we wouldn’t typically consider. Her research found that washing our clothes could release over 700,000 plastic fibres, biodegradable plastic bags could still hold a full bag of shopping after being in the sea for 3-years and there could be over 3 million microbeads in facial scrubs. Imogen’s research has helped influence legislation banning microbeads in facial scrubs worldwide and improve biodegradable plastic labelling. In 2018, Imogen became a National Geographic Explorer and Sky Ocean Rescue Scholar. Imogen then joined the National Geographic ‘Sea to Source; Ganges Expedition’ to investigate plastic pollution in a major river system. Additionally, Imogen supported the National Geographic Everest team where she found the highest microplastics ever recorded near the summit of Mt. Everest. Working to preserve our environment Imogen is now currently an expedition scientist for a biotechnology company called Basecamp Research, who aim to discover new proteins in nature to protect areas from habitat and biodiversity loss.
