Our marine biodiversity advisors

Bluedot Positive

Neil Cousins BSc, MBA1,2

Neil is an international marine biodiversity advisor with over 25 years’ experience. So far, he has worked on projects in over 40 countries globally. With a background in consultancy, governance, and academia, he leads Bluedot’s marine biodiversity research and assessment studies for infrastructure projects globally. He also helps organisations to create net gain strategies and plans and supports them in the design, implementation, and monitoring of biodiversity- and people-positive actions on-the-ground. He directly supports International Finance Organisations as a leading marine biodiversity advisor and has provided technical studies for inter-governmental organisations.

1 Founder of Bluedot Associates Ltd, UK
2 Lead advisor on marine biodiversity for the International Finance Corporation

Claire Fletcher MSci1

Claire is a marine biodiversity consultant with over 16 years’ international experience. She provides a leading technical role across our projects globally, and a specific focus of her work is leading our marine net gain projects and advising the offshore renewables sector. Claire’s background is in helping organisations to address risks to marine biodiversity at a site- and corporate-level working with International Finance Organisations and major global companies. As part of her work, she has contributed to the development of strategic approaches and guidance – building best practice and improving capacity. Claire is based in Brisbane, Australia.
1 Technical Director at Bluedot Associates Ltd, UK

Ami Jewell BSc, MSc1

Ami has delivered marine conservation research for various projects, both internationally and in the UK, over the last 4 years. Her specialisms primarily involve marine megafauna research, baseline study, data management, and statistical analysis. Ami’s focus in Bluedot is on supporting research into marine baseline and delivering marine net gain approaches, with an emphasis on supporting marine restoration.
1 Marine Biodiversity Researcher at Bluedot Associates Ltd, UK

Becky Hollely BSc, MSc1

Becky has a background in biodiversity research and conservation with 5 years’ of experience applying her knowledge as a communications specialist within the marine sector. At Bluedot, she uses her expertise in communication strategies and digital engagement to manage and enhance the company’s communications approach, increase local engagement and to build external capacity. She also supports the delivery of events and helps more broadly across Bluedot’s operations to advance the company’s mission to drive better outcomes for marine biodiversity.

1 Business Support and Communications Manager at Bluedot Associates Ltd, UK

Colleen Abell BSc, MSc1

Colleen is a geospatial and remote sensing expert with over 20 years’ experience. She has a specific focus on supporting biodiversity projects globally. She leads Bluedot’s geospatial and remote sensing work with a specific emphasis on helping to plan and deliver our research and biodiversity assessment work (e.g., baseline studies, critical and natural habitat assessments, and biodiversity management planning).
1 Abell Geospatial Consulting

Lindsey West PhD1,2,3

Lindsey has worked globally with scientists, conservationists, and local communities on a range of marine and terrestrial conservation projects. Her focus is on the socio-cultural processes that shape the practice and outcomes of community-based marine biodiversity conservation. For the last 13 years she has acted as a lead advisor for a Tanzanian NGO called Sea Sense working on the ground with coastal communities to conserve marine wildlife; and to strengthen fisheries management and governance systems.

1 Technical Advisor of Sea Sense, Tanzania
2 Researcher at Durrell Institute of Conservation and Ecology (DICE), University of Kent, UK
3 Member of the IUCN SSC Marine Turtle Specialist Group and the IUCN SSC Sirenia Specialist Group

Manjula Tiwari BSc, MSc, PhD1,2,3,4,5,6

Manjula is a leading international marine turtle scientist and conservationist. Manjula collaborates with sea turtle projects around the world with a focus on building local networks to support conservation approaches. She serves as a Scientific and Technical Advisor to many projects funded by the US Fish and Wildlife Service’s Marine Turtle Conservation Fund and the founder of a marine NGO, through which she drives conservation programmes with local communities and groups.
1 Member of the IUCN-SSC Marine Turtle Specialist Group
2 Advisory Committee member to the Indian Ocean Southeast Asia Memorandum of Understanding
3 Secretary of the International Sea Turtle Society
4 Editor-in-Chief of the African Sea Turtle Newsletter and Editor of the Marine Turtle Newsletter
5 Conservation Scientist at the United States National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s (NOAA) Marine Turtle Ecology and Assessment Program, California
6 President of Ocean Ecology Network Inc.

Helen Russell BSc, MSc1

Helen is a leading international social assessment advisor with a specific focus on the implementation of best practice social safeguard standards. She has a focus on researching the impact of projects on communities, including on livelihoods and shelter, and the rights and cultures of Indigenous peoples. She is also involved in the monitoring of development programmes that seek to work with local communities to offset their impacts.
1 Founder of Solutions for a Small Planet Ltd

Caroline Weir BSc, MSc, PhD1,2,3,4,5

Caroline is a marine mammal scientist who has conducted visual and acoustic studies of free-ranging cetaceans (whales, dolphins, and porpoises) since 1995. Her primary research interests focus primarily on the distribution and ecology of cetacean communities. In the last decade she was specialised in the cetaceans occurring along the west coast of Africa and in the Falkland Islands.
1 Member of the IUCN-SSC Cetacean Specialist Group
2 Member of the Convention on Migratory Species (CMS) Scientific Council’s Aquatic Mammals Working Group
3 Project Officer at Falklands Conservation
4 Founder of Ketos Ecology
5 Honorary research fellow at the University of Aberdeen