Dr Andrea Copping is an oceanographer and senior advisor for Pacific Northwest National Laboratory. She attained her BSc in marine biology from McGill University and a PhD in biological oceanography from the University of Washington. She focuses on the environmental effects of offshore wind, wave, and tidal energy development, and the role that these effects play in technology development and project initiation across the nation. Using risk-based approaches, she leads a research team that integrates laboratory, field, and modeling measurements into a coherent body of evidence to support siting and permitting decisions. Furthermore, she leads international projects that share information on the environmental effects of wave and tidal energy (Ocean Energy Systems-Environmental) to benefit from progress made around the world.