Rachel D’Silva, B.Sc., (M.Phil. pending)
Rachel D’Silva brings forth over 16 years of extensive experience in the Environmental Consulting Field, presently serving as the Senior Environmental Scientist at CLE. She holds an Honors BSc. in Environmental Science and is currently pursuing an MPhil in Coral Reef Ecology at the University of the West Indies.
Her academic pursuits led her to spearhead the establishment of the Caribbean’s pioneering Mid-water Floating Nursery. Additionally, she assumes responsibility for post-permitting environmental construction compliance monitoring, overseeing comprehensive assessments that encompass a wide scope, including marine, freshwater, potable, wastewater, and ground water quality monitoring. Her monitoring activities also extend to air quality assessments, covering PM10, PM2.5 and asbestos along with noise and acoustic monitoring, and comprehensive evaluations of coral reef and seagrass conditions, among other construction-related endeavors.
She holds qualifications as an Environmental Biologist, certifications as a British Sub-Aqua Club (BSAC) Sports Diver and PADI Equipment Specialist, and is a Reef Check Eco-Diver Trainer with AGRRA certification in Coral Surveys. She is an active member of the Jamaica Coral Reef Monitoring Network (JCRMN) and the Jamaica Institute of Environmental Professionals (JIEP).
Rachel has made remarkable contributions to numerous prominent local and regional Environmental Impact Assessments. Her expertise extends to consulting on significant environmental endeavors, particularly in coral and seagrass relocation initiatives. Notably, she represented the University of the West Indies as a vital part of the Jamaican science team during the Science without Boarders- Living Oceans Foundation expedition project to Pedro Bank.
Other training and certification include:
- EbA for Urban and Peri-urban Spaces: Using Nature-Based Solutions as a Key Climate Change Adaptation Strategy for Advancing Sustainable Development in Jamaica (January 2023)
- Certified Remotely Operated Vehicle pilot VideoRay Pro4 Underwater Remote Operated Vehicle (ROV) Basic ROV Operations Training Course (2015), Key Largo, Florida, USA, including the use cameras, lights, robotic arms, sonar and positioning systems.
- Occupation Safety Health & Environmental Consultants Corp. (OSHE) 16-hour Training Course in Fundamentals of Accident Investigation and Report Writing (2011)
- Visible Emissions Evaluator Training Course. Measurement of visible emissions from sources as specified by Federal Reference Methods 9, 22 and 203 A, B and C. Eastern Technical Associates (2011)
- Occupational Safety Health & Environmental Consultants Corp. (OSHE) 30-hour Training Course in OSHA #510 – Occupational Safety and Health Standards for the Construction Industry (2010)
- American Heart Association Heartsaver CPR AED Program (October 2023)
- Trained in operations and analysis of acoustic and particulate matter (PM) equipment and software.
- Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV)/Drone Operations (dJi Phantom and Quantum Trinity F90+)
- Training in bat detection techniques and analysis of bat echolocation sonograms.