Dr Andrew B Gill
Principal Scientist & Lead – Offshore & Marine Renewable Energy (OMRE)
Andrew works within the Advice and Assessment team to support and develop the scientific evidence base. The current focus is as strategic lead for offshore and marine renewable energy (OMRE) and further developing Cefas-wide initiatives into the decarbonisation agenda primarily through offshore renewables.
Andrew is trained as a fish behavioural ecologist and applied fisheries ecologist and is particularly interested in understanding how fish (and more recently other taxa) respond and adapt to changes in their environment, particularly in the Anthropocene. He joined Cefas in 2019, with 29 years of experience principally in the University sector. Andrew is a knowledgeable and experienced communicator about local and global aquatic ecological management and sustainability.
Specific topics of expertise are:
- Internationally recognised expert in understanding and quantifying the environmental impacts of energy emissions (principally electromagnetic fields – EMFs, but also underwater noise) on receptor species.
- Determining the changes in the environment associated with emissions from subsea power transmission cables, offshore wind array and export cables, floating wind dynamic cables, marine renewable energy devices.
- Animal behaviour laboratory and field studies relating to energy emissions.
- Acoustic tagging and tracking of fish and invertebrate species.
- Methods to determine benthic community response associated with hard structures, such as wind turbine foundations and scour, cable protection.
- Methodologies for monitoring ecological change over different time and spatial scales.
- Systems approaches (particularly Socio-Ecological-Systems, SES)
- Cumulative ecological impact assessment.
- Ecological risk and uncertainty assessment.
- Application to marine spatial planning and co-location/co-existence
Andrew has chaired and served on several international committees and authored/co-authored several cross-disciplinary international journal articles, book chapters and scientific reports. He is co-Chair of ICES Working Group Offshore Windfarm Developments and Fisheries (2020-22).
Publications
Selected Publications:
Gill, A. B., Degraer, S., Lipsky, A., Mavraki, N., Methratta, E., & Brabant, R. (2020). Setting the context for offshore wind development effects on fish & fisheries. Oceanography, 33(4), 118-127
Hutchison, Z. L., Secor, D. H., & Gill, A. B. (2020). The interaction between resource species and electromagnetic fields associated with electricity production by offshore wind farms. Oceanography, 33(4), 96-107
Hutchison, Z.L., Gill, A.B., Sigray, P., He, H. & King, J.W. (2020). Anthropogenic electromagnetic fields (EMF) influence the behaviour of bottom-dwelling marine species. Sci. Reports, 10(1):1-15
Tidbury, H….Gill, A.B. et al. (2019). Social network analysis as a tool for marine spatial planning: Impacts of decommissioning on connectivity in the North Sea. J. Appl. Ecol. 57: 566-577.
Dannheim, J…Gill, A.B., et al. (2019). Benthic effects of offshore renewables: identification of knowledge gaps and urgently needed research. ICES J Mar Sci. 77:1092-1108.
Willsteed, E., Birchenough, S.N.R., Gill, A.B. & Jude, S (2018). Structuring cumulative effects assessments to support marine management & planning obligations. Mar Pol 98: 23-32.
Causon, P. & Gill, A.B. (2018). Linking ecosystem services with epibenthic biodiversity change following installation of offshore wind farms. Environ, Sci Pol 89:340-347
Fowler, AM, ……., AB Gill, et al (2018). Environmental benefits of leaving offshore infrastructure in the ocean. Frontiers Ecol Environ. DOI: 10.1002/fee.1827.
Willsteed, E., Jude, S., Gill, A.B. & Birchenough, S.N.R (2018). Obligations and aspirations: A critical evaluation of offshore wind farm cumulative impact assessments. Renew Sust Energy Reviews. 82(3), 2332-2345.
Wilding, T.A., Gill, A.B., et al. (2017). Turning off the DRIP ('Data-rich, information-poor') - rationalising benthic-related assessments around marine renewable energy developments. Renew Sust Energy Reviews, 74, 848-859.
Willsteed, E., Gill, A.B., Birchenough, S.N.R. & Jude, S. (2016). Assessing the cumulative environmental effects of marine renewable energy developments: Establishing common ground. Sci Total Environ, 577, 19–32.
Boehlert, G.W. & Gill, A.B. (2010). Environmental and ecological effects of ocean renewable energy development – a current synthesis. Oceanography 23, 68-81.
Gill, A.B. & Kimber, J.A. (2005). The potential for cooperative management of elasmobranchs and offshore renewable energy development in UK waters. JMBA. 85, 1075-1081.
Gill, A.B. (2005). Offshore renewable energy - ecological implications of generating electricity in the coastal zone. J. Appl Ecol 42: 605-615.
