MSP Research Network

An established senior environmental scientist with 30+ years of experience, Steve is currently Director & Principal Consultant at Wolds Environmental Consulting Ltd. Up to 2019, he was the Marine Policy Specialist in the Institute of Estuarine and Coastal Studies (IECS) at the University of Hull. He holds a First Class BSc in Applied Biology from the University of Wales, Cardiff (1988).

Initially specialising in freshwater fisheries ecology, he has worked as a Freshwater Ecologist (for the Game Conservancy Trust); as a Fisheries Ecologist (for WRc); as the Regional Fisheries Officer and, subsequently, the Fisheries Strategy and Policy Advisor (for Environment Agency Wales); and as a Senior Fisheries Biologist (for Golder Associates in Calgary, Canada).

In 2009 his focus shifted to the marine environment when he returned to the UK to take up the role of Stakeholder Manager for the Net Gain (North Sea) Regional MCZ Project, coordinating extensive stakeholder input and leading the production of Net Gain’s final recommendations report, which formally presented the project’s recommendations to UK Government in August 2011.

After joining IECS in 2012 he consolidated his position as a marine research scientist. Steve founded his own company, Wolds Environmental Consulting Ltd, in 2019 and now specialises in a range of complementary and inter-related topics including: marine policy; Marine Protected Area designation and assessment; understanding marine pressures and impacts from marine activities; the development of decision support frameworks and tools; and stakeholder engagement (including workshop design and facilitation).

His key strengths lie in:
• Communication and presentation skills; high quality technical writing.
• Consensus building across stakeholder groups to support achievement of strategic goals.
• Data analysis and interpretation; IT development.
• Strategic thinking & problem solving.
• Policy development and provision of key advice to clients.