Nigel Proctor

Nigel has a wide range of experience (over 15 years) in benthic taxonomic analysis, (from England, Wales, Scotland and Ireland and North Sea coasts) and offshore sediment, plankton, epifaunal and fish surveys. Other research fields include estuarine and coastal fish and shellfish assemblages, commercial and recreational fisheries, evaluation of fishing activity and effort, and liaison with both commercial and recreational stakeholders. Other studies include crustacean stock assessments, field toxicology studies, migratory fish assessment, macrofaunal studies and the monitoring of fish impingement from industrial plants and the derivation of appropriate mitigation measures. Nigel is currently working on an assessment of the potential impacts of a proposed offshore wind farm to the marine ecology and stakeholders within the adjacent waters. Nigel is also an experienced diver well acquainted with underwater survey techniques, both within the UK and around the world.

Dr. James Allen

James is a marine ecologist with particular interests in the analysis and modelling of marine communities, water quality and hydrodynamic processes. He has a wide experience in benthic and fish community studies and habitat mapping around the UK and is an experienced statistician and GIS operator. He also has extensive experience of intertidal and subtidal benthic survey work including tools such as AGDS, sidescan sonar and underwater video. James was one of the key authors of the recent (2004) revision of the subtidal and intertidal soft sediments biotope classification for the UK on behalf of the JNCC and has also developed predictive benthic models (e.g. MARINPACS). James has undertaken a wide range of UK/European research projects in addition to commercial surveys and assessments in relation to proposed wind farm sites, aggregate extraction and other construction activities. He has also undertaken modelling studies and assessed the effects of industrial discharges on marine communities and also provided advice to BERR on the statistical rigour of offshore wind farm benthic monitoring strategies. He recently undertook a series of AGDS, video and benthic surveys along the Yorkshire in order to characterise benthic communities and has just completed a biotope survey of the Humber estuary for Natural England.

David Brown

David has over 8 years experience of marine surveys including infaunal benthic studies along the Yorkshire coast including the use of Day and van Veen grabs, intertidal studies of the Norfolk and Suffolk coast, epifaunal studies within the Wash, Cleveland and Yorkshire Coasts, fish surveys within the Thames Estuary, Wash and Yorkshire coast and Plankton surveys within the Thames Estuary. David has significant experience of commercial and recreational fisheries, and has carried out field evaluation studies into shellfish populations, commercial fishing effort and recreational activity. David has also wide experience of the deployment and use of the RoxAnn system, and both towed and drop down video. David is also the master of Precision Marine Surveys dedicated inshore survey vessel (Lizzard) with over 15 years experience of commanding boats, and is suitably qualified to operate the vessel in accordance with MCA standards.