Baker Consultants Appoints New Underwater Noise Expert

Matt Simpson, a Member of the Institute of Acoustics with over fifteen years experience, has joined Baker Consultants as Senior Underwater Noise Consultant.

Baker Consultants’ expanding Marine team carries out marine mammal monitoring and underwater noise mitigation work for a range of projects, including offshore wind farms such as Borkum Riffgrund 1 and Gode Wind 1 and 2.

Simpson brings substantial acoustics knowledge to Baker Consultants from his past roles, most recently as owner and principal consultant of his own company providing noise and vibration consultancy to the building, industrial and environmental sectors.

Previous to this, he was a post-graduate researcher in underwater acoustics and ultrasonics at the University of Southampton, where he had studied acoustics with oceanography as a student.

Simpson has co-authored a number of academic papers, posters, abstracts and contract reports on topics ranging from the effect of ultrasound on the solidification of fats to the use of acoustics in sizing oceanic bubble populations.

He will be applying his underwater acoustic experience to a range of Baker Consultants Marine projects, starting with Gode Wind offshore wind farm in the North Sea.

Speaking recently of his initial experiences at Gode Wind, Simpson said: “The work is exciting and fulfilling, not least because we are relating anthropogenic activities to real-time noise levels in the water. Also, after all the modelling and calculations, it is pleasing to be able to provide the client with the field information they need to more efficiently conduct their activities.”