Simon is an Approved JNCC ESAS (European Seabirds at Sea) trainer since April 2010 with over 1000 hours of marine mammal surveys for research projects offshore wind farms, tidal and wave arrays. Adding to his ‘old seadog’ tag, beginning in January 2004 he has completed over 8000 hours (over 1000 days) of European Seabird at Sea (ESAS) surveys, the majority (over 7000 hours) following the COWRIE methodology for survey seabirds for twenty-three offshore wind farms, tidal and wave arrays, those planned, proposed, in-construction and constructed. Before becoming an ecological consultant, Simon spent 10 years working in nature conservation, including six summers as a seabird warden/researcher. Four of these on the Irish Sea InterReg Roseate Tern Project. Simon has undertaken East Canadian Seabird at Sea surveys off the east coast of North America and marine mammal surveys in Antarctica. He has been working as part of the HiDef ID team since 2019.
