IMarEST Marine Environmental Briefing - Biographies

Dr Dan Atkinson - Maritime Department Manager, Headland Archaeology Ltd

Dan has been a professional maritime archaeologist for thirteen years and currently works for Headland Archaeology Ltd. as the Head of Maritime. His first degree was in Archaeology at the University of Newcastle upon Tyne, leading to a Masters Degree and PhD in Maritime Archaeology at the University of St Andrews. His academic and professional background has led to the development of a broad experience in all manner of maritime archaeological projects; he has particular expertise in maritime heritage conservation and management; freshwater, coastal and inter-tidal archaeology; the archaeology of maritime installations such as ports, docks and harbours; boat and ship archaeology; and environmental impact assessment for freshwater,coastal, near shore and offshore developments.

Martin Harper - Head of Sustainable Development, RSPB

Martin Harper was educated at Oxford and University College London. He undertook field work in the Comores and Mongolia before settling for life in policy and advocacy. He spent three years at Wildlife and Countryside Link, the network organisation for voluntary bodies working for wildlife and the countryside before spending five years as Conservation Director at Plantlife International. He joined the RSPB in March 2004 as Head of Government Affairs before being appointed Head of a new department for Sustainable Development in November 2006. His team is responsible for influencing public policy on climate change, planning and regional policy, marine and fisheries policy, economics, and sustainable development. Having chaired Link’s Biodiversity Task Force from 2002-2006, he has since then been a member of Link’s Management Committee.

James Marsden - Director Marine, Natural England

As Director Marine, James leads delivery of Natural England’s Marine Programme, including Marine Protected Areas, marine management, monitoring and reporting, spatial planning, and advice on offshore renewables and sustainable fisheries. He is Chair of the Marine Conservation Zone Project Board at national level.

Before taking up his present post in January 2009, James was Director Policy at Natural England (2006-2008), Head of Policy (2002-2006) and General Manager at English Nature (1998-2001), including two periods as Regional Director for South West England. James spent his early career working as a planner in local government before joining the Nature Conservancy Council as Assistant Regional Officer, West Cumbria, in 1983. His subsequent roles with the NCC and English Nature included Upland Ecologist (1988-91) and Area Manager for Gloucestershire, Hereford and Worcester (1991-1998).

Martin Sales - Head of Infrastructure, Environment and Transport, Partner, Biggart Baillie LLP

Martin Sales is head of Biggart Baillie’s Infrastructure, Environment and Transport Department. He is accredited by the Law Society of Scotland as a specialist in Planning Law, spending much of his time on renewable energy projects, particularly wind farm developments.

Martin has been advising clients on EIA developments at a senior level for 20 years. He has scrutinised the detail of wide range of major projects, including some of Scotland’s most contentious planning applications. He is a veteran of the eight-month Coastal Superquarry Inquiry; and more recently, has advised some of Scotland’s foremost energy producers on their Environmental Statements for National Planning Framework II projects. Many of these have included a marine dimension, being coastal developments.

From minerals development to high-profile waste and energy projects, he has helped clients overcome some particularly challenging environmental and related legal issues. Whether at scoping stage or Supplementary Environmental Information required for public local inquiries, Martin has helped clients deliver projects which successfully hurdle the challenges presented by statutory consultees, consenting authorities and increasingly third parties.

Colin Summerhayes, IMarEST Fellow and President of the Society for Underwater Technology

Dr. Colin Summerhayes is a marine geologist and oceanographer and President of the Society for Underwater Technology. Based at Cambridge University’s Scott Polar Research Institute, he is a former Director of the UK's Institute of Oceanographic Sciences Deacon Laboratory, now part of the National Oceanography Centre, Southampton, UK. He spent 7 years as Director of the Global Ocean Observing System Project for UNESCO's Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission in Paris, before serving the Scientific Committee on Antarctic Research as Executive Director from 2004-2010. He previously spent 12 years in marine exploration research with Exxon and BP. He is a co-author of “Oceans 2020: Science, Trends and the Challenge of Sustainability”, of “Oceanography: an Illustrated Guide”, and of “Antarctic Climate Change and the Environment”. He is a Fellow of the Institute for Marine Engineering, Science and Technology, and a Chartered Marine Scientist and Chartered Geologist.

John Wills - Director Technical, & International Development, IMarEST

John Wills joined the IMarEST in 2009 after a career of 38 years in the Royal Navy, from which he retired in the rank of Captain.

He spent 13 years at sea in seven surface ships, specialising as a Marine Engineer Officer. Early training was at BRNC Dartmouth and at the Royal Naval Engineering College, Manadon, where he read his degree in Mechanical Engineering.

His later career widened to involve leading major changes in the partnering of Defence support with private industry. Significant appointments have included Senior Engineer of the Royal Yacht Britannia which included one of the RN’s first commercial refits in 1987; Superintendent Fleet Maintenance for 43 warships based in Portsmouth; British Defence and Naval Attaché to Athens which covered the 2004 Olympic Games and as Director of Marine Services in the UK Ministry of Defence leading his organisation into a £1bn 15 year PFI contract.

Married to Pippa, with three daughters, John enjoys tennis, yacht sailing and skiing.