Experience & expertise

After graduating in 1988 with a First Class Honours BSc in Applied Biology from the University of Wales in Cardiff, Steve’s early career was based around freshwater fisheries ecology (with a particular focus on salmonids). During this time his work included:

• Research: working with Cardiff University and the Game Conservancy Trust (1988-1991) and, subsequently, working as a Fisheries Ecologist with WRc plc (1991-1999);
• Operational management: working as the Regional Fisheries Officer and, subsequently, the Fisheries Strategy & Policy Advisor for Environment Agency Wales (1999-2008); and
• Consultancy: working as the Senior Fisheries Biologist with Golder Associates in Calgary, Canada (2008-2009).

In 2009 Steve's 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 (Marine Conservation Zone) Project, coordinating extensive stakeholder input and, in August 2011, leading production of Net Gain’s final report (presenting the project’s MCZ recommendations to UK Government).

Steve moved back into research consultancy work in 2012 when he was invited to join the Institute of Estuarine and Coastal Studies (IECS) at the University of Hull as their Marine Policy Specialist, consolidating his position as a marine research scientist, and specialising in a range of complementary and inter-related topics including:

• marine policy;
• Marine Protected Area designation and assessment;
• understanding pressures and impacts from marine activities;
• the development of decision support frameworks and assessment tools (including understanding approaches for applying aggregation methods when undertaking marine biodiversity status assessments, development of the SPIDA tool to assess oil & gas infrastructure decommissioning options); and
• stakeholder engagement (including workshop design and facilitation).

When, at the end of July 2019, the University of Hull closed IECS Steve founded his own company - Wolds Environmental Consulting - and established himself as an independent consultant, specialising in (aquatic) environmental assessment and management,

Since founding his consultancy Steve has worked on projects for:

• JNCC (in association with Anita Franco, Daryl Burdon, and Katie Smyth, and with Mike Elliott and Dr Krysia Mazik from the University of Hull);
• European Commission Joint Research Centre, JRC Ispra (working in association with Andreas Palialexis from JRC Ispra, Italy, and with Chris Smith and Nadia Papadopoulou from the Institute of Marine Biological Resources and Inland Waters at the Hellenic Centre for Marine Research, Crete);
• Ørsted Wind Power NS, Strategic Environment Team (working under contract to the University of Hull, and in association with Mike Elliott, Sue Boyes, Daryl Burdon, Nick Cutts, Anita Franco and Katie Smyth);
• the Suffolk Marine Pioneer Programme (providing support for Daryl Burdon Ltd);
• AFBI (NI) (providing support for Daryl Burdon Ltd);
• Environment Agency, Abu Dhabi (in association with Mike Elliott, Anita Franco, Daryl Burdon, and Jon Atkins, and with AQM World (Abu Dhabi);
• Natural England;
• (UK) Environment Agency;
• APEM Ltd;
• Yorkshire Marine Nature Partnership; and
• Horizon Europe/UKRI (involvement across four major pan-European projects: MarinePlan, GES4SEAS, MarineSABRES, MARBEFES - working as a Principal Consultant under direct contract to IECS Ltd).

Through Wolds Environmental Consulting, Steve's focus remains on delivering high quality applied environmental research and support across coastal and marine waters.