Ireland's Cetacean Survey Specialists
Meadhbh Quinn is one of IWDG Consulting leading MMOs. She has been working with us for many years and currently works on the Dublin port ABR Capital Dredging Programme and the AFLOWT project. She was recently featured by the Women Offshore Foundation, also known as Women Offshore, which is an online organization and resource center supporting a diverse workforce on the water.
https://womenoffshore.org/protecting-marine-mammals-offshore-with-meadhbh-quinn/
IWDG Consulting have started fieldwork in North Mayo as part of the AFLOWT project. Commissioned by the Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland (SEAI) to deliver the marine mammal component of AFLOWT (https://www.nweurope.eu/projects/project-search/aflowt-accelerating-market-uptake-of-floating-offshore-wind-technology/), the IWDG are contracted to:
i) collate all background data on the site
ii) carry out a gap analysis
iii) establish baseline indices for monitoring requirements
iv) prepare the marine mammal chapter for the EIS/AA
v) develop an ongoing environmental programme
IWDG Consulting have developed a partnership with SMRU Consulting in order to bring in their experience and expertise with similar floating offshore wind devices in Scotland. SMRU Consulting will prepare the EIA and AA while IWDG Consulting will review current knowlege and gather baseline data. Fieldwork involves deploying Static Acoustic Monitoring equipment and adding to the photo-id catalogue of bottlenose dolphins that frequent the area. The inner test berth of AMETS is within the newly designated West Connacht Coast SAC which lists bottlenose dolphins as the sole qualifying interest.
The baseline review and gap analysis has already been delivered to SEAI (Quinn and Berrow, 2020) and fieldwork will last 1-2 years. It is hoped to deploy a full-scale floating offshore wind device by 2023 at the AMETS site.
Quinn, M. and Berrow, S. (2020) AFLOWT: Review of Marine Mammal Baseline Data and Gap Analysis from the Atlantic Marine Energy Test site (AMETS). Final Report prepared by IWDG Consulting for the Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland (SEAI) for the AFLOWT Project. 35pp.
IWDG have been contracted by Energia to carry out 24 months visual and acoustic marine mammal monitoring as part of site surveys for a proposed offshore windfarm off Helvick Head. surveys, Techniques include distance sampling during dedicated marine mammal surveys, VP land-based watches and Static Acoustic Monitoring at 5 sites. 
This is the second large offshore windfarm contract IWDG Consulting have won in recent months. IWDG Consulting adopt best practice guidelines and are becoming the principle group to carry out baseline surveys of proposed windfarms.
IWDG Consulting have won a contract to carry out a 12 month visual and static acoustic survey of the site of the proposed offshore windfarm off Clogherhead, Co Louth. This windfarm has been in the planning phase for many years having first been identified in 2006. With recent demands for a rapid move to de-carbonising of our economy, offshore wind is seen as the most practical form of renewable energy in Ireland.
IWDG are pleased that Static Acoustic Monitoring is part of this baseline survey as harbour porpoise are likely to be a key component of the marine mammal community at 
the site.
IWDG CEO Dr Simon Berrow said “we are likely to see a big increase in interest in offshore wind in Ireland and we are happy that the IWDG can provide its’ experience and knowledge to minimise the impacts of this essential infrastructure on marine mammals”.
IWDG Consulting have supplied a full time MMO to L&M Keating for the pier extension project on Dinish Island, Castletownbere on the Béara peninsular, Co Cork. MMO Andrew Shine who is originally from Cork City here talks about his role with IWDG Consulting and how he got involved in marine mammal work. Film courtesy of Tony Whelan at Canola Pictures