Nicola Sullivan graduated from Imperial College, London in 1997 with a first class honours degree in Environmental Geology. She subsequently gained employment with CEFAS (Centre for Environment, Fisheries and Aquaculture Science) where she works within a team performing risk assessment on the deposit of materials at sea and providing scientific advice to the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food (MAFF). She is also studying part-time for a MSc in Coastal and Estuarine Management.