We provide services ranging from scoping, consultation, field studies, modelling and impact assessment, environmental management, decommissioning studies, and systems and facilities auditing.

We also design and carry out marine baseline and monitoring surveys, often as part of the environmental assessment process. Surveys include sediment sampling for benthic and epibenthic organisms and physical and chemical parameters, and water column sampling for chemistry, zooplankton and phytoplankton.

Assessment and mitigation

Once baseline information has been gathered and reviewed, potential impacts to marine ecosystems from project construction or operation can be assessed. The assessment is often augmented by the use of dispersion modelling to indicate destinations of planned or unplanned discharges. During the assessment period, we advise clients on any major impacts that are likely to occur and discuss potential options for changes to the development that could reduce or eliminate such impacts.

Consultation

RSK provides advice on consultation strategies, represents and/or accompanies clients at consultee meetings and provides project presentation materials.

Environmental management

RSK can provide environmental managers to ensure that policies and procedures are being followed in the field post-environmental assessment. For operational phase projects, we can provide managers to develop and integrate environmental management systems up to EMAS or ISO 14001 accreditation level .

Monitoring and audit

RSK scientists can advise clients on the scope of pre- and post-construction monitoring surveys so that baseline levels of potential contaminants are established to safeguard against incorrect claims pertaining to environmental damage. RSK can also manage all regulatory negotiations at this stage. Where necessary, RSK can provide additional environmental and/or health and safety services.

Scoping

RSK can review early outline project plans and offer advice based on experiential and desk study information, helping clients focus development options and avoid major environmental issues.

Specification, surveying and interpretation

Through regulatory liaison RSK pinpoints the specific surveys required, making sure the data is appropriate and necessary to the project. For fieldwork, scientists can act as client representatives to ensure work being supervised is maintained or we can provide staff to carry out sampling or surveying. RSK's wholly owned laboratory, EnviroLab, is accredited to cover the majority of typical marine sediment or water analytical parameters. Analytical or other field collected data is assessed using industry recognised statistical or GIS software and our scientists can also interpret marine geotechnical and geophysical data supplied by oceanographic contractors.

Using local partnerships and international expertise, we have completed various types of marine studies in many parts of the world over the past 15 years. We have the experience and contacts to deliver services worldwide in a number of marine disciplines as shown below:

• Dispersion modelling: Trinidad
• Gas field development EIA, baseline surveys: Ireland, West Coast
• Offshore windfarm EIA, baseline surveys: Morecambe Bay Shell Flats
• Bord Gáis interconnector EIA: Irish Sea
• Marine mammal surveys: Bristol Channel
• LNG tanker berthing study: Waddensee (Netherlands)
• Ecotoxicology and oil pollution monitoring: Kuwait
• Coastal power plant EIA: Caspian Sea (Azerbaijan)
• Marine terminal and offshore loading facilities EIA: Caspian Sea (Azerbaijan), Black Sea (Georgia), Thailand
• Offshore drilling and production EIA: North Sea, Caspian Sea (Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan), Black Sea (Turkey), Sakhalin Island, Angola
• Offshore baseline survey: Caspian Sea (Azerbaijan), Black Sea (Turkey), Angola, UK North Sea, German North Sea
• Offshore seismic survey EIA: Senegal, Black Sea (Turkey), Caspian Sea (Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan)
• Offshore pipeline EIA and routing studies: Caspian Sea (Azerbaijan to Kazakhstan and Azerbaijan to Turkmenistan), Japan (Sakhalin Pipeline)
• Offshore permitting study: Norway
• Industrial EIA: Saudi Arabia, Qatar
• Offshore facilities audit: Turkmenistan