Staff Interview: Roberto Komeno

Reef Doctor is enriched by the knowledge and experience of international staff members, volunteers and interns, through which it aims to empower Malagasy people in conservation and environmental management. The objective over time is to employ only Malagasy staff so that they can continue the vital preservation and management of own their natural resources and habitats long into the future. We present and detail lots of projects through this blog, but we don’t often present the people that are working to make Reef Doctor what it is. Below we interview an essential Malagasy member of the Reef Doctor team, Roberto!

Roberto is one of the core members of Reef Doctor as he is the Head of our Science Department. As such, he oversees all our science programmes, coordinates the science activities, writes reports, and participates in data collection and analysis. He is leading our main science activities: coral reef monitoring and reef restoration, which includes the artificial reef and the coral nursery and transplantation.

Name: Roberto Komeno

Age: 44

Job title: Head of Science Department

Qualifications: Masters in Applied Oceanography from the University of Toliara (IH.SM) and a degree in Natural Sciences from the University of Antananarivo

Tell us a bit about your professional experience.

I previously worked for Reef Doctor as Science Officer for two years (2006-2008). After that, I worked as individual consultant on scientific marine activities. I mainly did coral reef monitoring as well as a couple of environmental impact assessments. I supervised several fishermen associations for the management of marine resources with the Projet de Soutien au Développement Rural (PSDR – Rural Development Support Program) from Androka to Morombe. I also supervised association of fishermen for the Projet d’Appui aux Communautés de Pêcheurs. During that period I worked with WWF and Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS) as well as the University of Toliara. In March of this year, I came back to Reef Doctor after 11 years to work as Head of the Science Department.

How did you find out about the job?

Through “word of mouth”. What drove me was to go back working in the field I like the most, everything that has to do with the sea. I was eager to go back in the water.

What is it like to work for RD?

It’s hard work, but I like to take up challenges because managing several projects at a time is not always easy. We always need to run to meet deadlines!

What is the best part about working at RD?

What I love the most is being underwater because there is no tension, it’s relaxing. I also really like to analyse the data we have, as it’s the base of what we do. We obtain the data, but after we need to highlight those data by writing reports.

How does your family feel about you working at RD?

My family is happy for me and actually used to me working since forever in the water. It’s a bit difficult sometimes as my family is in Toliara and I cannot follow the education of my kids. But my kids love to come by at Reef Doctor and enjoy the sea for a weekend!

How do you feel about NGOs working in Madagascar?

I think it’s very important to have NGOs working here in Madagascar because it helps a lot institutions and local communities, for example at a training level for institutions and at the resource management level for local communities. I think that NGOs working on coral reefs should systematically send their reports to SeMer or to the Ministry so they have the data and can draft national reports.

Where do you see your career going in the future?

I see myself working here for a couple of years and then I might look for a job that requires less physical effort, as I’m getting old!

You recently came back from a Forum in Nosy Be, can you tell us about it?

It was a National Forum on Research, this time specially dedicated to marine biodiversity. It’s the occasion to get to know people working in the same field and make people aware of our work. I went there to represent Reef Doctor and present a poster on the Artificial Reef. It went really well and the Artificial Reef drew a lot of interest!

Interview by RD Comms Officer Karin Moehler

Photo credit: Lucy Fisher, Beth Dickens & Karin Moehler