Event Details
In the third of the APEM Group’s webinar series focusing on offshore wind in Australia, we will explore:
- Key issues relating to marine mammals in environmental impact assessment (EIA)
- Data collection methods: Boat-based Surveys; Digital Aerial Surveys (DAS); Visual Aerial Surveys; Passive Acoustic Monitoring (PAM); telemetry tagging/biologging
- Data Integration for EIA
Time:
17:00 AEST
Date:
Thursday 8th May
Speaker profiles
Sean Sweeney
Associate Director & Offshore Wind Lead (Australia)
APEM Group
Sean Sweeney is an ecologist and ornithologist with over 17 years of experience in ecological surveys, data analysis, and impact assessments. He has contributed significantly to studies on birds, mammals, and protected species, and has engaged in various voluntary bird surveys and scientific publications.
Ross Culloch
Associate Director, Marine Mammals
APEM Group
Ross Culloch is a marine mammal scientist with over 20 years of experience, including nine years in renewable energy. He is the Associate Director and Head of Marine Mammal Consultancy at APEM Ltd, a role he has held since September 2022.
Ali Cotton
Associate Director, Marine Wildlife Surveys
APEM Group
Ali Cotton is a New Zealand biologist with extensive experience in conservation, research, science, data analysis, and policy across the private, academic, NGO, and government sectors. Ali has been Associate Director at APEM Ltd since September 2023 and has a strong background in conservation science and evolutionary genetics.
Jonathan Botha
Team Leader, Zoology
Biosis Pty Ltd
Jonathan Botha is a dedicated zoologist with extensive experience in ecological research and consultancy. He is the Team Leader for Zoology in Victoria at Biosis Pty Ltd, a role he has held since January 2024.
Lorenzo Scala
Senior Marine Scientist
Seiche LTD
Lorenzo Scala is a senior marine scientist at Seiche Ltd with 17 years of experience in offshore industry, including 8 years in offshore renewables. He specialises in passive acoustic monitoring including marine mammal acoustic studies and underwater noise measurement and mitigation during offshore construction activities.
Raquel Carter
Head of Western Australia and Environment
Energise Renewables
Raquel is a marine environmental scientist (MSc), regulatory specialist and environmental impact assessment practitioner specialising in coastal and marine development sectors. Raquel has worked in Australia’s offshore energy regulator (NOPSEMA), WA state government and in the NGO sector.
Register for this webinar
Join us for an insightful webinar as we delve into the challenges of offshore wind development and the transformative potential of marine mammal survey data.
Related Articles
Quality, teamwork and standards: meet the growing APEM Group team in Australia
Meet some of the APEM Group Environment Team in Australia. With decades of experience producing high-quality environmental impact assessment (EIA) and approvals, combined with APEM Group’s extensive global offshore wind experience, the team are already supporting the developing offshore wind industry and broader energy sector in Australia.
Mitigating Underwater Noise Impacts on Marine Mammals
As Australia’s offshore wind projects grow, developers must find ways to reduce impacts. This is important to get approval for their projects. Noise mitigation is crucial because regulatory bodies require comprehensive Environmental Impact Assessments (EIAs) that demonstrate how developers will minimise harm to marine ecosystems.
Getting it right first time: LiDAR for offshore wind developers
or offshore wind developers, the watchword is certainty. Certainty that the development process will run as easily as possible. Mitigation measures and the data behind them are a critical component of the Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) and referral process for OSW in Australia.