Mandy Barker is an award-winning photographer whose urgent work on plastic pollution in the world’s oceans has been monumental in bringing this issue to light. It can be difficult for the public to fully comprehend elements of the global crisis which are hidden from our attention and floating in the depths of our seas. We launched our Union of Concerned Photographers in response to this, which used the power of photography to underline the urgency of environmental concerns. In the article, Mandy explained how her expeditions with activists and scientists has brought her face to face with oceans and sea life affected by crisp packets, cups, cotton buds, toothbrushes and other man-made debris. Her work has been exhibited at MoMA, and the United Nations headquarters in New York, the V&A Museum in London, and published in National Geographic Magazine, TIME Magazine, The Guardian, the Financial Times, the New Scientist, and more. Some of Mandy’s photography has also contributed to scientific papers researching the current plastic situation.
