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Staff

Kayla West

Kayla West

Research Director , ​Lab Manager, OFE Coordinator

kayla@plasticoceanproject.org
Head of Scientific Research, Lab Manager, Communications
Wilmington, NC
Areas of Expertise

  • Marine debris & plastic pollution
  • Environmental education
  • Animal husbandry

Kayla graduated from UNC-Wilmington in 2017 and holds two bachelor’s degrees, one in marine biology and the other in environmental science.

She started working with Plastic Ocean Project as a HWY 421 clean up volunteer in 2020.

Kayla serves as Head of Scientific Research for POP and is responsible for overseeing research projects, fostering professional collaborations, acquiring grant funding, and student lab supervision/training.

She has also taken over the role as Communications Coordinator for POP and is responsible for maintaining the website, sending out bi-weekly newsletters, keeping up with our social media, and sharing our work with the press.

Education

  • UNC-Wilmington, B.S. Marine Biology​
  • UNC-Wilmington, B.S. Environmental Science

Publication

  • Kurki-Fox, J.; Doll, B.; Monteleone, B; West, K. N.; Putnam, G.; Kelleher, L.; Krause, S.; Schneidewind, U. Microplastic Distribution and Characteristics Across a Large River Basin: Insights from the Neuse River in North Carolina, USA. Science of the Total Enivronment. 2023, 787, 162940.