Meadhbh Quinn

Associate Scientist

Email: mq@smruconsulting.com

Meadhbh Quinn is an Associate Scientist with SMRU Consulting and is based in the Vancouver office. She joined SMRUC in 2022 and has over seven years of experience in marine science and consultancy. Her experience spans a range of sectors, including offshore renewable energy, coastal and offshore developments, geophysical survey operations, marine mammal behavioural studies, Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA), and fisheries research and consultancy.

Meadhbh specializes in marine bioacoustics, passive acoustic monitoring (PAM), and underwater noise analysis. She has extensive experience processing and analysing marine mammal acoustic datasets, conducting soundscape analyses, and supporting environmental assessments and monitoring programmes. She is also an experienced GIS user and regularly produces technical reports, maps, and spatial products for research and consultancy projects.

In addition to her desk based technical work, Meadhbh maintains an active fieldwork role and has extensive seagoing experience. She has planned and conducted surveys for both research and consultancy projects and has undertaken a variety of field based tasks, including marine mammal observation, hydrophone deployment and recovery operations, and data collection in coastal and offshore environments.

During her master's studies at the University of Ulster, she used Digital Aerial Survey (DAS) data collected from offshore renewable energy developments to undertake photogrammetry method testing and derive morphometric measurements of marine mammals.

  • Degrees and Education

    • 2021 University of Ulster, MSc Geographical Information Systems (GIS)

    • 2015 University College Cork, BSc (Hons) Zoology

    Skills and Expertise

    • GIS (ArcGIS & QGIS)

    • Passive Acoustic Monitoring (PAM) and noise analyses, deployment and maintenance of hydrophones

    • Marine Mammal Observer (MMO) with over 7 years experience in the the offshore and coastal development industry

    • Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA)

    • Experience with photogrammetry and utilizing Digital Aerial Survey (DAS) data for identification and morphometric purposes.

    • Practical field experience including over 650 commercial days at sea in Irish and European waters since 2016

    • Design and execution of boat-based surveys utilizing single and double platform line-transect methodologies, in addition to collection of photo-dentification and environmental data.

    • Analysis and validation of Photo-ID data and maintenance of a long-term Photo-ID catalogue.

  • Various SMRUC reports and deliverables.

    O’Donnell, C., Sullivan, M., Lyons, K., Keogh, N. and Quinn, M. (2016). Celtic Sea Herring Acoustic Survey Cruise Report 2016, 07-27 October 2016. FSS Survey Series: 2016/04.Marine Institute

    Lyne, P., Berrow, S., Quinn, M., Keogh, H. and Wall, D. IWDG (2020). Offshore Wind Policy Document. Published by the Irish Whale and Dolphin Group, 2020.

  • Key Projects:

    • Port of Vancouver ECHO Program and Quiet Sound

    • Burrard Inlet Passive Acoustic Monitoring Program

    • DFO Southern Resident Call annotations

    • Lime Kiln Acoustic Monitoring Program

    • Scottish Offshore Wind Monitoring Projects (ECOMMAS, NNG and Seagreen)

    • Pacheedaht First Nation Marine Mammal Monitoring Program

    • TMEP Underwater Noise Monitoring

    • JNCC – Guidance for undertaking noise impact assessments when using explosives in the marine environment

  • Phone: +1 (604) 737-7678

    Email: mq@smruconsulting.com

    Mail:
    604 – 55 Water Street
    Vancouver, BC
    V6B 1A1
    Canada