Dr João Frias

Principal Investigator

+353 (0)91 74 2522

I completed a PhD in Environmental Studies (2011/2015) at the Faculty of Sciences and Technology of Universidade Nova de Lisboa (FCT-UNL), in Portugal. My PhD was supervised by Prof. Paula Sobral (Portugal) and co-supervised by Prof. Richard Thompson from Plymouth University (United Kingdom).

I have been working at the Marine and Freshwater Research Centre since 2017, focusing mainly in marine anthropogenic litter and microplastic pollution in Ireland, although I have been working in this research topic since 2008.

My research interests are associated with the effects and impacts of marine litter and microplastic pollution in the marine environment (e.g. weathering, biofouling, degradation and fragmentation), stakeholder engagement, environmental psychology, particularly behaviour change, and ocean literacy.

My most recent project is TRAP, funded by Interreg Atlantic Area , which explores Nature based Solutions (NbS) to trap plastics and microplastics on land.

I am a member of the Marie Curie Alumni Association and of the American Association for the Advancement of Science since 2018; and a member of SETAC Europe since 2019. For more details and access to publications, please check www.joaofrias.com

Projects

Transforming Rivers by Reducing Aquatic Plastic Pollution (TRAP)

TRAP addresses the critical transnational challenge of aquatic plastic pollution through innovative, eco-friendly solutions to reduce plastic litter reaching the Atlantic Ocean.

Contact: Dr Róisín Nash

Molecular characterization of marine plastic leachates and associated environmental impacts

This project aims to assess and characterize the molecules associated with chemical pollution from plastics and microplastics, resulting from weathering and degradation processes.

Contact: Dr João Frias, Dr Enda Gibney

Galway Bay is Calling

Galway Bay is Calling is a project funded by the Creative Ireland Programme for Climate Action (details here) and is led by Music for Galway (https://musicforgalway.ie/), in collaboration with the Galway Atlantaquaria (https://nationalaquarium.ie/) and the Atlantic Technological University (https://www.atu.ie/).

Contact: Dr João Frias

Waves of Change

Waves of change is a project that will promote sustainable development and behaviour change through ocean literacy

Contact: Dr João Frias, Dr Róisín Nash

Assessment of microplastics in farmed oysters

This project aims to assess the levels of microplastics in two oyster species after depuration

Contact: Dr João Frias, Dr Colin Hannon

BASEMAN

This project aimed at establishing standardised operating procedures for environmental matrices laboratory processing targeted at microplastics

Contact: Dr João Frias, Dr Róisín Nash, Dr Ian O’Connor

Microplastics: implications for policy

This project consists of a literature review of the impacts of microplastics in the marine environment and on the proposal of mitigation and/or reduction policy recommendations to address this global environmental issue.

Contact: Dr João Frias, Dr Róisín Nash

Plastics, Prawns, and Patterns

This project is investigating the potential of Nephrops norvegicus as a flagship species for plastic pollution in the deep sea.

Contact: Dr Róisín Nash, Dr Fiona Kavanagh, Dr João Frias

MicroplastiX

MicroplastiX (JPI-Oceans) aims to overcome knowledge gaps concerning microplastic weathering, degradation and fragmentation processes.

Contact: Dr João Frias, Dr Róisín Nash

IMP.act

The IMP.act project is a Marie Skłodowska-Curie Action COFUND fellowship funded by the Irish Research Council, aiming at developing a long-term management plan for microplastic pollution in Galway Bay and its environs.

Contact: Dr João Frias