Kevin O'Connell

Kevin has over 20 years of experience in marine ecology with a strong emphasis on marine environmental management within the construction sector. Kevin specialises in marine environmental consent compliance on large nationally significant infrastructure projects, and has a comprehensive background in the coastal and offshore survey sector. He has experience in marine construction, regulatory interface and has worked in several technical roles involving marine survey operations in the offshore, coastal and intertidal environments. Ecological enhancement and eco-engineering of marine structures is a particular interest for Kevin; recent experience includes the management and delivery of marine habitat mitigation, restoration and enhancement projects.

Kevin was seconded to a nuclear power station construction site as Marine Technical Specialist for seven years. As the client’s site technical lead for the marine environment, Kevin maintained consent compliance oversight for construction elements at the marine interface. Kevin routinely engaged with marine consenting authorities, had oversight of the environmental management plans, managed the on-site Ecological Clerk of Works service and oversaw the substantial marine science monitoring programme.

Kevin is project manager or project director for various other projects at Tetra Tech RPS Energy. He recently managed post-application support for a developer’s Carbon Capture and Storage project, project managed the delivery of Environmental Statement technical topics for the consenting of an interconnector, and has been overseeing the planning of an ambitious marine habitat restoration project in Scotland. In previous roles, Kevin worked in international offshore environmental surveying, mapping and sampling seabed habitats. Kevin has also previously held a staff position at the Environment Agency, where he was responsible for benthic monitoring and leading bioaccumulation surveys of the Thames Estuary, southeast and southern coastal waters for local projects and EU directives. He also led the monitoring of fish and shellfish, macroalgae, seagrass and saltmarsh habitats.