Jennifer Cocking


        Head and shoulder image of Jennifer Cocking on the winter beach wearing a hat

PhD student

Driven by a sense of urgency and persistent passion for sustainability and marine conservation, I am thrilled to be fighting plastic pollution, full-time.

Through my research, I apply my engineering and product development experience to advance measurement and understanding of this man-made epidemic.

Contact details:

Surveying the marine environment for plastic pollution using a novel, hyperspectral infrared camera on a UAV (revised)

To support remote sensing and quantification of plastic pollution in the marine environment, I have deployed a hyperspectral short-wave infrared (SWIR) camera on aerial platforms to detect shoreline plastic debris based on its characteristic spectral features. A variety of plastic types, terrains, and cloud conditions have been considered in the evaluation of this novel methodology (revised).

 

Supervisors

Prof Finlo Cottier, SAMS

Professor Bhavani Narayanaswamy, SAMS

Dr Claire Waluda, British Antarctic Survey

Dr Benjamin Williamson, ERI

 

Funder

NERC funded NEXUSS studentship

 

University

University of the Highlands and Islands

 

Project duration

October 2017 - June 2021

Peer-reviewed publications

Cocking, J., Narayanaswamy, B.E., Waluda, C.M. and Williamson, B.J., 2022. Aerial detection of beached marine plastic using a novel, hyperspectral short-wave infrared (SWIR) camera. ICES Journal of Marine Science, fsac006, https://doi.org/10.1093/icesjms/fsac006

van Lanen, D., Cocking, J., Walker, S.B., Fowler, M., Fraser, R., Young, S.B., Ahmadi, L., Thai, A., Yeung, J. and Yip, A. (2015) Economic and environmental analysis of a green energy hub with energy storage under fixed and variable pricing structures. Int. J. Process Systems Engineering, Vol. 3, Nos. 1/2/3, pp.158–180

Fieldwork experience

Arctic research -- Ny-Ålesund, Svalbard, August 2019

Boat-based drone piloting and image capture of glaciers to support colleagues' research

 

Arctic research cruise -- Svalbard, August 2018

10 days aboard R/V Helmer Hanssen. Drone piloting and image capture of shoreline plastic debris

 

The Rozalia Project, STEM for the Ocean Expedition 2016 – Gulf of Maine, 14 days

Volunteer scientist: marine debris remediation and research, student education

 

Teaching experience

Feb-March 2018, Teaching Assistant BSc Marine Science

H1 Mathematics and Statistics, Scottish Association for Marine Science, Oban, UK

Instructor: Dr. Thomas Adams

 

Sept - Dec 2010, Teaching Assistant

Chemical Engineering Concepts 1 (CHE 100), University of Waterloo, ON, Canada

Instructor: Dr. Christine Moresoli

 

Sept - Dec 2010, Teaching Assistant

Chemistry for Engineers (CHE 102), University of Waterloo, ON, Canada

Instructor: Dr. Joao. Soares

 

Jan - Apr 2010, Teaching Assistant

Grade 12 Chemistry, University (SCH 4U1), Port Perry High School, ON, Canada

Instructor: Rebecca Brownson

 

Professional memberships

Association of Polar Early Career Scientists (APECS): since 2018

Scottish Alliance for Geoscience, Environment and Society (SAGES): since 2018

 

Professional training courses

STCW 95 Basic Sea Survival. Fish Industry Training Association, Oban, UK. March 2018

NEXUSS Focused Module: Sensors and Platforms. University of Southampton and National Oceanography Centre, Southampton, UK. Dec 2017

SSI Open Water Diver SCUBA. Certification, East Coast Divers, Brookline, MA, USA. July 2017

SaChE Inherently Safer Design, Safety and Chemical Engineering Education Program. University of Waterloo, ON, Canada. March 2011

Employment history

Jul - Sep 2017 Product Development Engineer II. Ambri Inc. Cambridge, MA. USA

Jan 2015 - Jul 2017 Supply Chain Engineer, New Product Development. Ambri Inc. Cambridge, MA. USA

Aug - Oct 2014 Development Engineer (contract). Eos Energy Storage. Edison, NJ. USA

May - Aug 2013 Material Characterization Engineering Intern. Ambri Inc. Cambridge, MA. USA

Sep - Dec 2012 Cell Testing Engineering Intern. Ambri Inc. Cambridge, MA. USA

Jan-Apr 2012 Metallurgical Lab Research Assistant. Kingston Process Metallurgy. Kingston, ON. Canada

May-Aug 2011 Pulse Radiolysis and Lab Assistant. Atomic Energy of Canada Limited. Chalk River, ON. Canada

 

Qualifications

2014 BASc Honours Chemical Engineering. University of Waterloo