Tom’s research focusses on characterising the nature and impacts of anthropogenic materials in aquatic environments.

His AXA Fellowship investigated the prevalence and impacts of natural textile fibres (e.g. cotton and wool) relative to their plastic analogues (e.g. polyester and nylon) in contemporary aquatic environments and aquatic sediment records. Tom is also Co-Investigator on IMPACT+, an interdisciplinary UKRI Circular Fashion and Textiles Network Plus programme working with designers, forensic scientists, and environmental scientists to inform a more sustainable fashion and textiles future. Tom leads a Discipline Hopping work package for IMPACT+

Tom leads a programme of research investigating the anthropogenic litter on coastlines across Northwest Scotland. This work began with the 50 years of Litter on Skye project (50YOLOS).

50YOLOS has evolved into Siubhal a’ chladaich – ‘travelling the shore’: Engaging communities in marine litter research on remote coastlines (SaC), funded by the Natural Environment Research Council (NERC). SaC expands 50YOLOS, and aims to better understand the nature, quantity, impacts, and perceptions of marine litter on Northwest Scotland’s beaches. Alongside SaC, Tom leads a Royal Society / NERC funded science communication titled Aisle of Skye, working with artists across Skye to communicate the problem of marine litter. You can follow the progress of this work on its Instagram and X channels.

Alongside this work on textile fibres, Tom collaborates with not-for-profit organisation Planet Patrol, who use community science to characterise anthropogenic litter and water quality in freshwater environments globally.