Iwan Jones

Professor Iwan Jones serves as Head of the River Communities Group within the School of Biological and Behavioural Sciences at Queen Mary University of London. His research focuses on freshwater ecosystems, particularly river ecology, sediment dynamics, microplastic pollution, invasive species, and biodiversity monitoring. His work spans multiple continents and integrates field studies, laboratory experiments, and large-scale data analysis to address pressing environmental challenges.

Professor Jones' research interests center on understanding how anthropogenic stressors impact freshwater ecosystems. His work examines sediment pollution in rivers, microplastic contamination, invasive species dynamics (particularly pink salmon), and climate change effects on aquatic biodiversity. He investigates ecological stoichiometry, food web interactions, and develops novel biomonitoring approaches using environmental DNA. His research often addresses multiple stressor interactions, recognizing that freshwater ecosystems face concurrent pressures from pollution, habitat alteration, and climate change.

His publication record demonstrates significant contributions to understanding insect biodiversity change, river invertebrate responses to fine sediment, microplastic impacts on freshwater organisms, and the dynamics of invasive species like zebra mussels and pink salmon. His work combines traditional ecological approaches with cutting-edge molecular techniques to advance freshwater ecosystem science.

Professor Jones has secured substantial research funding from NERC, DEFRA, EU Horizon 2020, and other sources, with projects including the GLobal Insect Threat-Response model, Pink salmon invasion studies, and various microplastic research initiatives. His work directly informs environmental policy and river management practices.

He supervises multiple PhD students including Wanda Bodnar, Alejandro Huerta-Hurtado, Danielle Marchant, Ana Martinez Rodriguez, and Ewan Shilland, fostering the next generation of freshwater ecologists. His research group collaborates extensively with institutions across Europe and beyond, contributing to large-scale projects like DNAqua-Net and the UK Upland Waters Monitoring Network.