Chris Wilcox

Research Statement

AI generated · Oct 30, 2026

Chris Wilcox's indexed work centers on the scale and biological consequences of marine plastic pollution. His first-author analysis of the global, increasing threat plastic debris poses to seabird populations remains his most-cited lead contribution, while later senior-author work quantified a growing ocean-wide accumulation of plastic particles and documented microplastic contamination in deep-sea sediments of the Great Australian Bight. Related studies estimate fishing gear loss rates at global scale and link sea turtle mortality to debris ingestion, framing debris as a measurable ecological pressure rather than an anecdotal one. Earlier and collaborative contributions include middle-author roles on a global inventory of small floating plastic debris and on plastic waste inputs from land into the ocean, alongside work on state–space models of individual animal movement. No software, datasets, patents, or grants are indexed beyond these publications. Across the listed outputs, the through-line is a shift from quantifying debris distributions toward tracing their biological and policy consequences, a trajectory reflected in collaborations with Britta Denise Hardesty and Alistair James Hobday.

Most Cited Works

Estimates of fishing gear loss rates at a global scale: A literature review and meta‐analysis

Kelsey Richardson, Britta Denise Hardesty, Chris Wilcox

Fish and Fisheries2019

241Citations

Risk analysis reveals global hotspots for marine debris ingestion by sea turtles

Qamar A Schuyler, Chris Wilcox, Kathy A Townsend, Kathryn R Wedemeyer-Strombel, George Balazs, Erik van Sebille, Britta Denise Hardesty

Global Change Biology2015

Research Areas

Microplastics and Plastic PollutionMarine and fisheries researchCoastal and Marine ManagementMarine animal studies overviewTurtle Biology and Conservation

Affiliations & Education

Education

1996–2002
University of California, Santa Cruz(US)
PhD · Environmental Studies
1992–1996
University of California, Davis(US)
masters · Ecology

Employment

2005–present· now
CSIRO Marine and Atmospheric Research(AU)

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Sources