MERC Consultants specialises in providing environmental and ecological services. MERC was established in late 2004 and has been active in a range of areas in the first 3 years of existence, including marine surveying and mapping, heritage and biodiversity studies, and benthic survey work.

Core Company Staff

Louise Scally
Louise Scally has worked in the field of environmental science and conservation biology for the past 15 years. She completed an M.Sc. in ecology and taxonomy in 1989 and a Ph.D. in taxonomy and molecular systematics in 2001 at the department of Botany, Trinity College Dublin. She has extensive experience in the area of analytical analysis of environmental substrates (marine, freshwater and soils) following her role as Senior Technician at the Centre for the Environment, Trinity College Dublin. In more recent years she has been involved in the area of EU and national biodiversity legislation following her role as project manager for the Irish National Platform for Biodviersity Research and close links with the European Platform for Biodiversity Research Strategy and BioStrat project. Over the past three years she has worked on anarray of contracts ranging from the formulation of management plans for marine Special Areas of Conservation, seabed habitat mapping of sensitive subtidal communities and the survey and phothography of deep water sponge species. She is a commercially qualified HSE part 4 diver, diving supervisor, underwater photographer and qualified boat handler.

Nick Pfeiffer
Nick Pfeiffer is a biologist who has been involved in marine science in a professional capacity since 1990. He was employed by the Fisheries Research Centre, DCMNR, between 1992 and 1995, and then by the Marine Fisheries Environment Unit, NUIG. his role during this time was mainly concerned with assessing the impacts of harvesting of marine fish and shellfish resources on non-target species and the seabed environment. During this time he acquired a detailed understanding of issues in relation to the impacts of harvesting of marine resources on non-target species. He also developed a specific knowledge and understanding of the ecologies of different temperate water marine habitats and communities and of the impacts that different fishing activities may have on these. In recent times, he has completed benthic monitoring programmes for finfish aquaculture sites in accordance with DCMNR monitoring protocols as well as having provided specialist fisheries and benthic survey services to state organisations and companies (BIM, Taighde Mara, Aquaculture Licence Appeals Board, NUI Galway) as well as private organisations; including leading engineering firms and ecological consultancies. In this regard, he is a competent underwater surveyor with a firm knowledge of Ireland’s marine floral and faunal communities and is experienced in the field identification of benthic marine flora and fauna. He is a commercially qualified HSE part 4 diver, underwater photographer and qualified boat handler.

Bryan Deegan
Bryan Deegan holds a B.Sc. (Hons) in Applied Marine Biology from Heriot Watt University and a M.Sc. (Research) in Environmental Science from Trinity College, Dublin.  In recent years he has managed a range of contracts with the Marine Institute and NPWS. These included the project management of the cSAC Broadscale Mapping Project which reviewed biological data and provided habitat/community maps of the seabed of Kenmare River, Roaringwater Bay and Clew Bay, using RoxAnn, diver surveys, with video and grab groundtruthing. He has also digitised and linked on GIS all underwater video footage from NPWS broadscale surveys. In order to assist in the selection and possible designation of deep water coral areas as SACs he was requested by the Irish Coral Reef Task Force (funded by NPWS and Marine Institute) to compile a metadata database and report on deep water corals in Irish Waters.  I He is a commercially qualified HSE part 4 and part 3 diver, underwater photographer and qualified boat handler.