Sophie Ward

Marine Associate @ERM

Norwich, GB

ERM acquired MarineSpace in July 2022, and I continued my role as part of ERM.My role as a Marine Associate Consultant involves providing ecological advice and technical input to support the development of offshore renewable energy projects. Key responsibilities include- Delivering Environmental Impact Assessments (EIA), Habitat Regulations Assessments/Appraisals (HRA), and Marine Conservation Zone (MCZ) Assessments across a range of ecological topics, including offshore ornithology, benthic ecology, fish and shellfish ecology, and marine mammal ecology- Supporting projects across multiple sectors, including offshore wind, oil and gas decommissioning, marine aggregates, and subsea cables and pipelines- Conducting benthic imagery analysis and contributing to the preparation of environmental baseline reports and technical assessments- Preparing Environmental, Social and Due Diligence (ESDD) reports to support investment and regulatory decision-making for marine infrastructure projects- Supporting the development and integration of Measures of Equivalent Environmental Benefit (MEEB) into project planning and consenting strategies- Assisting with Environmental Assessment Justifications (EAJs)- Advising on marine licensing processes and offering insight into UK marine legislation and policy- Coordinating with statutory nature conservation bodies (SNCBs) such as Natural England, JNCC, and NatureScot to support consent applications- Delivering international and regional impact assessment in English, Scottish, Irish, Danish, and German waters.

University of Plymouth

Bachelor's degree