Current projects

Plastic pollution and marine biota
Macroplastics interactions have been reported in over 1300 species, yet species level effects are poorly understood, and ecological benefits of interventions are hard to quantify. I am using risk assessment approaches to assess the vulnerability of marine biota to macroplastic and the benefits of debris removal.

Plastic Waste Management Strategies
Effective management must be cost-effective, equitable, and attain stated social-ecological objectives without introducing new consequences. I am co-chairing an NCEAS working group evaluating the social costs of plastic pollution. I am also researching plastic pollution policy in Hawaii, American Samoa, and across the US with the implementation extended producer responsibility laws.

Marine pollution in coastal zones
Nutrient pollution poses a threat to coral reef ecosystems, yet the physiological effects of nutrient enrichment depend on nutrient concentrations, ratios, and forms. I am evaluating the effects of nitrogen enrichment under high N:P ratios on zooxanthellae and skeletal density in reef-building corals to assess implications for reef resilience.

Water quality management in MPAs
Water quality impairment hinders the success of MPAs but long-term water quality monitoring and management remains a challenge for MPA managers, particularly in small island nations. I am currently collaborating with an international research team to develop approaches and training for sustainable water quality monitoring and management in island nations.

Past projects

Market-based instruments for fisheries
In partnership with Conservation International and the Center for Biodiversity Outcomes, we evaluated how well market-based instruments for fisheries protect marine ecosystem health and ecosystem services.

Estimating the cost of interventions
We developed a standardized method for evaluating the total cost of plastic pollution interventions. Moving forward, we will work with decision-makers to apply our framework to estimate intervention costs in various socio-economic and geopolitical contexts.

Impacts of plastic policy
We evaluated the environmental and social impacts associated with different plastic pollution intervention on the UN sustainable development goals, and explored how the context of implementation can influence these impacts.

Pesticide risk for ESA species
We evaluated the benefits of high resolution pesticide usage data for improving the accuracy and efficiency of the EPA pesticide registration and review process for species listed under the Endangered Species Act (ESA).

Publications

Murphy, E. L., Gerber, L. R., Rochman, C., Polidoro, B. (2023). A macroplastic vulnerability index for marine mammals, seabirds, and sea turtles in Hawai‘i. Science of the Total Environment.

Murphy, E. L., Fredette-Roman, C., Rochman, C., Gerber, L. R., Polidoro, B. (2023). A multi-taxonomic, trait-based framework for assessing macroplastic vulnerability. Science of the Total Environment.

Murphy, E. L., Polidoro, B., & Gerber, L. (2023). The plastic-scape: Applying seascape ecology to marine plastic pollution. Frontiers in Marine Science, 2119.

Murphy, E. L., Iacona, G., Bernard, M., Barnes, M., McGivern, A., & Gerber, L. R. (2022). A decision framework for estimating the cost of marine plastic pollution interventions. Conservation Biology.

Helm, L., Murphy, E. L., McGivern, A., Borrelle, S. B. (2021) Impacts of plastic waste management strategies. Environmental Reviews.

Murphy, E. L., Eikenberry, S., Iacona, G, Watson, G, & Gerber, L. R. (2021) The value of increased spatial resolution of pesticide usage data for assessing risk to endangered species. Conservation Science and Practice.

Murphy, E. L., Bernard, M., Gerber, L. R., & K. Dooley. (2021) Evaluating the role of market-based instruments in protecting marine ecosystem services in wild-caught fisheries. Ecosystem services.

Kittinger, J., Bernard, M., Finkbeiner, E., Murphy, E., Obregon, P. Klinger, D. H., Schoon, M. L., Dooley, K. J., & Gerber, L. R. (2021) Applying a jurisdictional approach to support sustainable seafood. Conservation Science and Practice.

Cramer, K. L., Bernard, M. L., Bernat, I., Gutierrez, L., Murphy, E. L., Sangolquí, P, Surrey, K., Gerber, L. R. (2021). The present and future status of ecosystem services for coral reef. Imperiled: the Encyclopedia of Conservation.

Murphy, E. L., Bernard, M., Helm, L., Hill, I & Tunas-Corzon, A. (2020) Policy Recommendations to reinvigorate recycling in Arizona. The Journal of Science Policy & Governance.

Borrelle, S. B., Ringma, J., Law, K. L., Mannahan, C. C., Lebreton, L., McGivern, A., Murphy E., ... M., & Rockman C. M. (2020) Predicted growth in plastic waste exceeds efforts to mitigate plastic pollution. Science.

Plastic Pollution Emissions Working Group. (2018) Evaluating the impact of mitigation strategies for marine litter and microplastics to inform policy: A white paper.

Eikenberry, S., Iacona, G., Murphy, E. L., Watson, G., Gerber, L. R. (In review) Identifying immediate opportunities for high resolution pesticide usage data to improve the efficiency of endangered species pesticide risk assessment. Science of the Total Environment.

Murphy, E. L., Jung, J., Ardisana, R., Sivaguru M., Vermeij, M, Fouke, B. W. (In prep) Physiological consequences of nitrogen enrichment under phosphate limitation for a reef building coral in the Caribbean. Communications Biology.

Fredette-Roman, C., Rolsky, C., Polidoro, B., Murphy, E. L. (In prep) A global ranking of the relative vulnerability of marine mammals to macroplastic entanglement and ingestion. Conservation Biology.

Presentations

Murphy, E. L., Fredette-Roman, C., Polidoro, B. A relative trait-based vulnerability ranking of the world’s marine mammals to plastic ingestion and entanglement. International Marine Debris Conference. Bhusan, South Korea. 2022.

Murphy, E. L., Fredette-Roman, C., Rochman, C., Gerber, L. R., Polidoro, B. Ranking the relative vulnerability of Hawai’ian Species to marine macroplastic. North American Congress for Conservation Biology. Reno, NV. 2022.

Murphy, E. L., Fredette-Roman, C., Rochman, C., Gerber, L., Polidoro, B. Assessing the relative vulnerability of marine biodiversity to macroplastic. ASLO Ocean Sciences Meeting. Honolulu, HI. 2022.

Ahumada, J., Cheng, S., Murphy, E. L. Interactive tools can drive evidence-informed decisions in conservation: insights from camera trap surveys in the Amazon. Association for tropical biology and conservation. Cartagena de Indias, Colombia. 2022.

Murphy, E. L., Eikenberry, S., Iacona, G., Watson, G. The value of increased spatial resolution of pesticide usage data for assessing risk to endangered species. Society for Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry annual conference. Portland, OR. 2021.

Murphy, E. L., Bernard, M., Iacona, G., Borrelle, S. B., Barnes, M., McGivern, A., Emmanuel, J., Gerber, L. R. A decision framework for estimating the cost of marine plastic pollution intervention. Society for Conservation Biology’s Emerging Issues in Conservation Seminar. Virtual. 2021.

Murphy, E. L., Bernard, M., Gerber, L., Dooley, K. Evaluating the role of market-based instruments in protecting marine ecosystem services in wild-caught fisheries. North American Congress for Conservation Biology. Denver, Colorado. 2020.

Barnes, M., Iacona, G., Bernard, M., Gerber, L., Murphy, E. L. Costs of mitigating marine plastic pollution: a decision support tool. International Congress for Conservation Biology., Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. 2019.

Watts-Fitzgerald, K., Murphy, E. L. EPA’s Vessel Sewage Program. SOBA Annual Conference. Anchorage, AK. 2017.

Grant, J., Braithwaite, M., Dvorak, M., Murphy, E. L. Juvenile Justice. 21st Century Community Learning Centers (21st CCLC) 2016 Summer Institute. Phoenix, AZ. 2016.

Posters

Murphy, E. L., Borrelle, S., Kittinger, J., Gerber, L. R. Engaging stakeholders in identifying scenarios to mitigate marine plastic pollution in Hawai’i. American Geophysical Union. Chicago, IL. 2022.

Murphy, E., Iacona, G., Bernard, M., Barnes, M., McGivern, A., Gerber, L. Costs to reduce plastic pollution. Institute for Social Science Research Poster Contest. Tempe, AZ. 2020.

Murphy, E., Barnes, M., Iacona, G., Bernard, M., Gerber, L., McGivern, A., Borrelle, S. The cost of mitigating marine plastic pollution. Society for Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry annual conference. Toronto, Canada. 2019.

Murphy, E., Sivaguru, M., Fouke, F. W. Physiological Response of the Caribbean Coral O. annularis to Pollution Gradients. Midwest Geobiology Conference. 2014.

Murphy, E., M. Sivaguru, B. W. Fouke. Physiological Response of the Caribbean Coral O. annularis to Pollution Gradients. American Geophysical Union. 2014.

Media

CM. 2023. Arizona lawmakers want to restore recycling fund. But environmentalists fear one addition. AZ Central.

Murphy, E. Helm, L. 2020. Lawmakers raided funds meant for recycling, raising fees or scaling back programs. The Arizona Republic.

Murphy, E., Bernard, M., Hill, I, Tunas-Corzon, A., Helm, L. 2020. Arizona should take steps to reinvigorate recycling. Arizona Capitol Times.

Nick Gervis. 2020. Study: Massive Global Effort Needed to Reduce Plastic Pollution By 2030. National Public Radio KJZZ.

Current projects

Past projects

Market-based instruments for fisheries In partnership with Conservation International and the Center for Biodiversity Outcomes, we evaluated how well market-based instruments for fisheries protect marine ecosystem health and ecosystem services.

Estimating the cost of interventions We developed a standardized method for evaluating the total cost of plastic pollution interventions. Moving forward, we will work with decision-makers to apply our framework to estimate intervention costs in various socio-economic and geopolitical contexts.

Impacts of plastic policy We evaluated the environmental and social impacts associated with different plastic pollution intervention on the UN sustainable development goals, and explored how the context of implementation can influence these impacts.

Pesticide risk for ESA species We evaluated the benefits of high resolution pesticide usage data for improving the accuracy and efficiency of the EPA pesticide registration and review process for species listed under the Endangered Species Act (ESA).

Publications

Market-based instruments for fisheries
In partnership with Conservation International and the Center for Biodiversity Outcomes, we evaluated how well market-based instruments for fisheries protect marine ecosystem health and ecosystem services.

Estimating the cost of interventions
We developed a standardized method for evaluating the total cost of plastic pollution interventions. Moving forward, we will work with decision-makers to apply our framework to estimate intervention costs in various socio-economic and geopolitical contexts.

Impacts of plastic policy
We evaluated the environmental and social impacts associated with different plastic pollution intervention on the UN sustainable development goals, and explored how the context of implementation can influence these impacts.

Pesticide risk for ESA species
We evaluated the benefits of high resolution pesticide usage data for improving the accuracy and efficiency of the EPA pesticide registration and review process for species listed under the Endangered Species Act (ESA).