Foreword by the Managing Director

In spite of the economic climate, ABPmer delivered another year of success. During 2009 we saw continued growth; winning over 90 new contracts as well as being commissioned to undertake additional packages of work for existing projects. We also saw our staff numbers increase to almost 50. Such achievements are testament to the fact that we remain the marine environmental consultancy of choice across our market specialisms.

In addition to working with our target markets, we were appointed the official marine adviser to Skandia Team GBR, the British Sailing Team in the Olympic and Paralympic Classes. This will see us providing marine environment predictions to help maximise their performance throughout their training and racing at the Weymouth Olympic venue.

The Energy Sector remained buoyant. We worked with key players in renewable energy including The Crown Estate and offshore wind developers as well as undertaking additional research for COWRIE (Collaborative Offshore Wind Research Into The Environment). Our environmental expertise also continued to support the Severn Tidal Power feasibility and strategic environmental assessment project (http://www.abpmer.co.uk/2008675.asp), whilst our modelling team undertook further thermal plume studies for CEFAS in relation to proposed new nuclear builds.

Habitat creation and managed realignment were key Coastal Sector interests. Our leading expertise in this area was employed by the Environment Agency to prepare scoping and feasibility studies for key sites in the coastal zone, including Medmerry on the West Sussex Coast.

ABPmer continued to provide UK-wide mapping services to support marine conservation zone planning and, due to our involvement in the Defra Charting Progress Feeder report, we have been awarded a number of contracts relating to the socio-economic uses of our seas. With the enactment of the UK’s Marine and Coastal Access Bill, we remain well placed in the Marine Policy Sector with regards to marine spatial planning and, in particular, marine conservation zone development.

Although new work associated with port development slowed, we continued to support ABP in its applications for developments including the Humber River Bulk Terminal, Grimsby RO-RO, Immingham Oil Terminal Approach dredge and Southampton Capital dredge. We also undertook a number of monitoring surveys for dredging, contamination issues and bathymetric studies for a number of UK ports and harbours. In addition, our Marine Risk services have been increasingly sought with the MarNIS Port Assessment Toolkit helping our clients achieve compliance under the Port Marine Safety Code. We foresee the Ports Sector picking up again in 2010 as the economy slowly improves.

Although we anticipate our markets becoming more competitive in 2010, we remain confident in the knowledge that ABPmer’s strength lies in its team of dedicated, technical experts, our commitment to adding value and the professional service we provide.

From an internal perspective, 2010 will see us moving into our new 5-year business plan. During this first year, we will be looking to commence a new tranche of exciting internal R&D projects that will seek to ensure our recognised position as innovators in our field.

The following pages offer a profile of our recent projects.

• Foreword
• Ports & Navigation
• Policy & Management
• Energy
• Industry
• Coastal
• Conferences & Events

Bill Cooper
Managing Director

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