Rachel Mulholland

Rachel is Head of Marine Policy and Management Advice at Cefas. She has 15 years’ experience in environmental policy, regulation, and management with a focus on the science-policy interface and translating scientific and technical outputs into evidence-based decision-making.

Rachel has a background in environmental law and planning as well as land-sea planning and management interactions. She has worked within UK local and national government providing technical and policy advice on all aspects of the planning process including policy development, implementation, monitoring, licensing, Environmental Impact Assessment, cumulative effects, and impact mitigation and compensation strategies.

Rachel has worked on the designation of Marine Protected Areas in the UK and internationally, and on policy and evidence development for Offshore and Marine Renewable Energy. She was the Cefas Science Coordinator on the development and implementation of Cefas’ Offshore and Marine Renewable Energy strategy, coordinating delivery, communications, and resourcing across the organisation. She was previously based in the British Embassy in Kuwait leading Cefas’ science delivery in the Middle East region and supporting wider UK Government science diplomacy and engagement on climate change and environmental resilience.

Her work at Cefas includes providing scientific and technical advice to governments, regulators, and statutory nature conservation bodies, both in the UK and internationally, on the potential risks and impacts to the marine environment of a wide range of human activities. She previously served as a UK delegate to the ICES Working Group on Marine Planning and Coastal Zone Management and as Principal Investigator leading several UK Overseas Territories biodiversity projects on sustainable marine and fisheries management. She has delivered training and advice on environmental impact assessment, marine management and policy to governments and organisations around the world.