Our Team

David Donnelly

Senior Consultant

David is an experienced cetacean researcher with complimentary knowledge of marine reptiles, seabirds and other surface pelagic fauna. He has over 20 years’ experience in the cetacean research field and 15 years’ experience in open ocean surveys as a marine fauna observer.  David has completed numerous offshore operations across Australia, New Zealand and the Antarctic in a consulting capacity or on behalf of the Australian government, scientific research institutions, the military and the oil-and-gas industry. David is a certified Marine Mammal Observer in New Zealand and Australia. David also is experienced in marine ecological surveys of temperate subtidal and intertidal reefs. He is manager of two citizen science projects associated with recording whale movements along the Victorian coastline. David has a long history of successful collaborations in developing nations. David is a qualified ADAS commercial diver and Coxswain.

Peter Faber

Senior Consultant

PhD

Peter is an environmental chemist and ecologist with experience researching coastal marine environments as well as environmental assessments for development programs in Indonesia and Fiji. His research on carbon metabolism in estuaries and coastal waters investigated the drivers of carbon and alkalinity export under different catchment land use regimes. More recently, Peter has been involved in a multidisciplinary research project, assessing the environmental impacts of a water and sanitation intervention in informal settlements, in terms of contamination of water resources and the abundance of disease vector mosquitoes. He is skilled in statistical analysis and the use of R programming language.

Jane Kennedy

Senior Consultant

MSc, MTeach (Sec)

Jane is a marine scientist with extensive experience in marine megafauna aerial surveys and as a vessel-based lead marine fauna observer.  She has worked on a myriad of aerial surveys in Western Australia, Victoria, and Northern Territory on behalf of the oil and gas industry, state governments and scientific research institutions.  Jane has managed marine fauna observer teams during offshore operations in Australia and New Zealand, supporting clients to fulfill their regulatory and reporting obligations.  She has a thorough understanding of HSE practices and an ability to mitigate risks in real time.  Jane is also a secondary science teacher with expertise in teaching biology and environmental science plus coordinating collaborative projects between students and universities, government departments, community groups and citizen science programs.

Mitch Burrows

Consultant

BSc (Hons)

Mitch is a marine scientist and certified Marine Fauna Observer in Australia, with experience in temperate seagrass habitat and marine mammal research, shorebird and coastal habitat conservation, and environmental education. Mitch’s Honours research generated a predictive model that can be used to inform the oyster aquaculture industry, resource managers, and researchers about the nature of impacts on seagrass habitat associated with oyster farming. Mitch has contributed to myriad marine research projects and has developed complimentary knowledge of marine mammals, fishes, seabirds and other surface pelagic fauna. He has experience in landscape management, vegetation quality assessment and ecological monitoring. Mitch is a Scientific Diver and Coxswain (Grade 1 Near Coastal)