ABP Marine Environmental Research

ABP Marine Environmental Research Ltd (ABPmer) is a UK-based marine consultancy and survey company that provides specialist marine environmental research and consultancy services. A wholly owned subsidiary of Associated British Ports Holdings Limited, it originated as a government research station in 1950 and rebranded as ABPmer in 2002 to reflect its core services. From its offices at Town Quay in Southampton and registered office in London, the company supports clients across the UK and overseas, operating under a quality system certified to ISO 9001:2015. Its work spans a wide range of marine sectors including coastal and flood management, ports and navigation, aggregates, offshore wind, marine renewables and wider marine policy, alongside strategic research for governments and agencies in areas such as EU policy impact assessment and marine spatial planning. ABPmer delivers an integrated survey and consultancy offering built around consents and licensing for coastal and offshore activities, data and GIS solutions, design support for coastal, nearshore and offshore infrastructure, and habitat creation and restoration feasibility, design, consenting and monitoring. It provides marine planning and policy support, socio-economic assessment, spatial analysis and stakeholder engagement, as well as maritime services such as safety management systems, Port Marine Safety Code compliance audits, Designated Person roles and navigational risk assessment. Its survey and monitoring capability covers ecological, environmental, hydrographic, geophysical, metocean and topographic data, supported by charting, data processing and laboratory analysis. Over more than 60 years the company has managed and contributed to integrated environmental studies and evidence bases for offshore wind, tidal and wave energy, and port developments, including coastal process modelling, environmental impact assessment guidance, collision and scour risk studies, and strategic net gain work for coastal and marine environments. ABPmer’s expertise is also applied to emerging areas such as carbon capture and storage licensing, Marine Net Gain policy development, fisheries and seafood grant scheme evaluation, water quality investigations for the UK water industry, and the assessment of natural coastal habitats’ role in flood risk reduction, with an explicit emphasis on helping clients develop, manage, operate in and protect the marine environment.