My role and responsibilities
- >Project Manager for multi-disciplinary marine projects, responsible for ensuring safe delivery of projects to required time, cost and quality standards
- >Technical lead for marine mammal ecology, including survey design and implementation, analysing data and producing written reports for a range of clients and sectors
- >Providing scientific technical input into tender documents
- >Development of technical Standard Operating Procedures
- >Representing SRSL/ΒιΆΉ΄ε Enterprise at conferences and events, marketing company services and liaising with clients.
Publications
Risch D, van Geel NCF, Marmo B, Benjamins S, Wittich A, Wilson B (2026) Underwater Noise Produced by Two Types of Operational Floating Wind Turbines and Preliminary Data on Harbor Porpoise Responses. In: Popper, A.N., Sisneros, J.A., Lepper, P.A., Vigness-Raposa, K.J. (eds) The Effects of Noise on Aquatic Life IV. Springer, Cham.
van Geel NCF, Benjamins S, Wittich A, Risch D, Todd VLG, Wilson B (2026) Impact of High-Order Unexploded Bomb Clearance on Harbor Porpoise Presence. In: Popper, A.N., Sisneros, J.A., Lepper, P.A., Vigness-Raposa, K.J. (eds) The Effects of Noise on Aquatic Life IV. Springer, Cham.
van Geel NCF, Benjamins S, Marmo B, Nabe-Nielsen J, Wittich A, Risch D, Todd VLG and Wilson B (2025) Suitability of assessing population-level impacts from construction of a single wind farm – a case study on North Sea harbour porpoises. Front. Mar. Sci. 12:1539143.
van Geel NCF et al (2023) Spatial Impact of Wind Farm Construction on Harbor Porpoise Detectability. In: Popper, A.N., Sisneros, J., Hawkins, A.D., Thomsen, F. (eds) The Effects of Noise on Aquatic Life. Springer, Cham.
Van Geel N, Risch D & Wittich A (2022) A brief overview of current approaches for underwater sound analysis and reporting. Marine Pollution Bulletin, 178: 113610. .
Braulik GT, Kasuga M, Wittich A, Kiszka JJ, MacCaulay J, Gillespie D, Gordon J, Shaib S & Hammond PS (2018) Cetacean Rapid Assessment: an approach to fill knowledge gaps and target conservation across large data deficient areas. Aquatic Conservation 28: 216-230.
Hartman KL, M Fernandez, A Wittich & Azevedo JMN (2015) Sex differences in residency patterns of Risso’s dolphins (Grampus griseus) in the Azores: Causes and management implications. Marine Mammal Science 31: 1153-1167.
Employment history
Since June 2017 Marine Environmental Consultant. ΒιΆΉ΄ε Research Services Ltd
2015-17 Marine Consultant. Baker Consultants Marine
2014-15 Marine Mammal Ecologist. Natural Power
2011-current Marine Mammal Consultant. Self-employed
Qualifications
2009 MRes Marine Mammal Science. University of St Andrews
2008 BSc Zoology with Marine Zoology. University of Wales, Bangor