Last spring found the Denver, Colo., native aboard the SV Seeker, a 72-foot junk, a Chinese-style sailing vessel. Its journey from the Dry Tortugas at the tip of the Florida Keys followed the Gulf Stream up the island chain. Along the way, he and the crew, which included professional researchers, grad students, and citizen scientists, collected water samples for analysis.
Sutton steers clear of sensationalizing his research. “We care about our reputation as scientists, so we consciously are not advocates. It’s not clear that microplastics are bad for people. It’s a huge open question. We report the data as we find it and avoid hyperbole and speculation,” he said.
“Multiple times in my life I have seen, read, or heard something I found interesting and made a radical change to find out more about it.”
After Hamilton, Sutton had no “grand plan” for his life. “I try to take advantage of anything that interests me in the moment, if I can make it work and can still take care of my family,” he said. “Multiple times in my life I have seen, read, or heard something I found interesting and made a radical change to find out more about it.”
This philosophy first took him to Ghana where he oversaw food distribution in remote areas. Changing course, he guided whitewater river rafting trips in the U.S. and Costa Rica. Finally, after a job took him to Europe, he earned his Ph.D. at the University of Fribourg in Switzerland. Today when he’s not at sea, he lives and works remotely in the Italian city of Pescara on the Adriatic Coast.
Although Sutton loves the “rigorous routines” of being on the water, he finds that its sometimes-monotonous nature creates meditative feelings. “It makes the magic moments that are unique about being at sea that much more poignant. It’s a rich experience.”
Posted September 24, 2025
