I am a Canadian ecologist and conservation biologist with more than 20 years of active research in plastic pollution, seabird biology, Arctic environments, and community-based environmental monitoring. I work with government agencies, Indigenous governments, NGOs, and research consortia to design, deliver, and evaluate research and monitoring programs — particularly in northern and coastal Canada and the UK Overseas Territories.

My research has been published in more than 200 peer-reviewed scientific papers. I am Curator in Charge of Birds at the Natural History Museum in London, and I hold a PhD in biology. I have conducted fieldwork across Canada, Alaska, Australia, the South Atlantic, and South Pacific.

What I Do

Plastics & Contaminants Research I am a recognised global research leader in plastic pollution and its impacts on wildlife. I have studied plastic ingestion in seabirds and other wildlife across the North Atlantic Arctic, and the South Pacific, and my work links plastic exposure to heavy metal contamination in food webs, including harvested wildlife and country food. I can advise on monitoring program design, analytical methods, data interpretation, and policy-relevant reporting.

Seabird Biology & Ecology Seabirds are among the most sensitive indicators of ocean health. I provide expert consultancy on seabird population ecology, foraging behaviour, bycatch assessment, colony monitoring, and the use of seabirds as environmental sentinels — for environmental impact assessments, species-at-risk work, and marine protected area planning.

Community-Based & Indigenous-Led Research I was a Principal Investigator on NGPlastics (2021-2026), a Nunatsiavut Government-led project examining plastics and heavy metal contamination in Inuit foodways and Arctic environments in northern Labrador. This work is built on genuine capacity sharing, on-the-land workshops, and recognition of local knowledge holders as primary experts and co-authors. I bring this approach — and an understanding of its practical and ethical requirements — to all collaborative work with Indigenous governments and communities.

Environmental Monitoring Program Design I have experience designing, implementing and evaluating long-term environmental monitoring programs across multiple systems and taxa, including the use of archival museum specimens to establish historical baselines, bird banding/ringing. I can advise on sampling design, quality assurance, data governance, and the translation of monitoring outputs into actionable policy recommendations.

Selected Projects & Partnerships

Plastics and seabirds — Adrift Lab co-Lead. Research cooperative studying the impacts of plastics on marine birds in Australia and the South Pacific Ocean. Field, lab, and statistical approaches to inform policy, monitoring, and management. adriftlab.org

NGPlastics — Nunatsiavut Government / Memorial University Principal Investigator. Community-based monitoring of plastics and heavy metals in Inuit foodways and Arctic environments, Nunatsiavut, northern Labrador. Project led by the Nunatsiavut Government; data owned and controlled by the community. cinuk.org/projects/ngplastics

Further publications and project details available on request.

Who I Work With

I work with federal and provincial government agencies, Indigenous governments and land claim bodies, environmental NGOs, research consortia, and environmental consultancies. Relevant Canadian bodies include Environment and Climate Change Canada, National Research Council, Crown-Indigenous Relations and Northern Affairs Canada, POLAR Canada, and regional wildlife agencies.

Elsewhere I have worked with the US Fish and Wildlife Service, UK Overseas Territories governments in the Pitcairn Islands and Tristan da Cunha, local authorities and regional bodies in Australia and the UK, and global bodies including World Seabird Union, UNESCO World Heritage Centre, and International Union for the Conservation of Nature.

A Note on Approach

Effective environmental research depends on relationships, not just methods. My involvement in Nunatsiavut has reinforced that the most durable and policy-relevant science is designed by communities, not delivered to them — with local knowledge holders treated as fully involved experts and co-authors, not as research subjects or consultation boxes to be ticked. I bring this commitment to every project I work on.

Get in Touch

For scientific consultancy enquiries — project design, expert review, partnership development, or strategic advice — please get in touch with a brief description of your needs and timeline.

Email: alex@alexanderbond.org

For writing and editorial consultancy, visit alexanderbond.org/writing-consultancy

For speaking, visit https://alexanderbond.org/beyond-science/