Plastic production continues to increase every year and every ocean on the planet has been severely contaminated with microplastics. The goal of my project is to adapt existing ocean circulation modeling techniques to more accurately model plastic transport and accumulation. I plan to explore a variety of ways to do this, from accounting for variation in plastic chemistry and degradation characteristics, to using deep learning to make better use of the sparse existing data on plastic transport and reduce the need for advance knowledge of system dynamics. More accurate modeling and trajectory prediction of plastic pollution should eventually inform policy changes in areas with major industrial river deltas, which are major contributors to ocean pollution.

Through SuperUROP, I hope to gain and practice serious research skills and apply my passion for the environment to a project with real impact. I am excited to expand my knowledge of computational fluids and ocean dynamics, and hopefully make meaningful contributions to my group.