• About Us
• Who benefits?
• How you can help
• Volunteer Research Assistant Programme
• Why choose ReefDoctor?
• Our staff
• Partners and Sponsors
• Opportunities

Roderick Stein-Rostaing
31, British
Rod is a PADI divemaster and has worked previously on reef conservation projects in the Philippines and as a divemaster in the Whitsunday Islands, Australia. As co-founder and director, Rod provides the direction and impetus for all of our overseas operations.

Daniel Presman
(1964 - 2004),
Daniel sadly passed away in late 2004. He will surely be missed but his memory lives on in the work of ReefDoctor.

Robert Stein-Rostaing
32, British
Robert has been a strong supporter of ReefDoctor since its inception and became a director in 2004. He comes from a background in the technology industry where, as an entrepreneur, he built and sold his first company by the age of 24. He now has a wide variety of interests and directorships with a recent focus on the TV & Film industry where he has his own production company. Robert has a Geography Degree from King's, London, is a PADI Advanced diver, and an active member and ambassador for the Royal Geographical Society.

Shawn Peabody
26, USA
Shawn manages and oversees all of Reef Doctor’s activities in the Bay of Ranobe, Madagascar. Shawn also serves as the primary in-country representative for Reef Doctor in the absence of the Director Roderick Stein-Rostaing. Previously, Shawn served as a United States Peace Corps Volunteer in Mahajunga a province of Madagascar, from 2005 – 2007. He has a Bachelors degree in Environmental Science and Policy from the University of Maryland. Shawn speaks English and Malagasy fluently.

Nicolas Ory
28, French
Head Science Officer, has a master degree in Zoology with specialisation in behavioural ecology from the University of Bern and a degree in Enthology from the François Rabelais University in Tours France. Nicolas main duties are to oversee the running of the organisations science programs mainly our marine research and marine management programs. He brings to the team his experience in lab and field based research and project creation from France and that in Zambia. He is also in the process of choosing a subject mater for his PhD whilst with us and helping other Malagasy staff with their own PhD applications.

Anne Furr
25, USA
BA in French and Interdisciplinary studies with concentration in sustainable development, with minor in Biology from Appalachian State University. Brings to the project her experiences working with Blue Ventures in the north of Madagascar between 2006 and 2007 and is running alongside Nicolas the projects science and volunteer programs.

Paubert Tsimanoraty
25, Madagascar
Bsc in Marine Biology from the marine institute IHSM of Toliara. A new addition to the team to start our fisheries monitoring and community involvement projects on the reefs south of Toliara around St. Augustin 52km south of Ifaty.

Vivienne Johnson
25, British
Msc Tropical coastal management and degree in Marine Biology from Newcastle Upon Tyne University. She spent 6 months with Frontier Expeditions as a Marine Research Officer in the North of Madagascar between Jan 08 to June 08. She brings with her experiences and expertise from her time with Frontier and the work on the Northern reef system there. She will be working alongside Nicolas, Anne and Paubert to undertake our research and management programs.

Caroline Johnson
28, British
Bsc Marine Biology and coastal ecology, PGCE in post compulsory education and training from University Plymouth and qualified PADI DiveMaster. Will again be working with the volunteers but mainly working with the other education officers on our community and tourist education and awareness and social development projects bringing in her experiences and skills as a schools program coordinator for the National Marine Aquarium Plymouth and as the education coordinator for Frontier Expeditions in Fiji.

Maureen Maloney
25, USA
Maureen is a US Peace Corps volunteer in the environment sector living in Ifaty. She is working with a local women’s association as well as Reef Doctor to improve the knowledge of the environment and to develop alternative economic opportunities in Ifaty. Maureen received her Masters degree in Biology from Northern Arizona University (NAU) and her Bachelors degree in Biology from the University of South Florida. She has worked as a science educator at the NAU, the San Diego Zoo’s Wild Animal Park and the Museum of Science and Industry in Tampa.

Christina Tsima
24, Madagascar
A local Malagasy from Tamatave working with Reef Doctor in Ifaty. Her duties include; working with the teachers of the primary schools developing our marine and environmental curriculum, working with the women’s association FIVETAMI helping to develop future business projects and teaching embroidery. She also works with the villagfers as a whole developing alternative business/jobs away from the marine environment and promoting conservation issues in the village plus workshops on AIDS, family planning and health and hygiene practices.

Rebecca Inman
27, USA
BA Biology with minor in environmental studies from the Collage of Charleston. Rebecca will be the new Head Education Officer for the project and thus in charge of our education program alongside Christina. She brings to the organisation her skills and experiences from her 2 years with Peace Corps in Madagascar as an environmental education and social development officer and as a technical advisor for the environment with SanteNet and Peace Corps in NE Madagascar. She is fluent in English, French and Malagasy.

Stephan Desseilles
35, French
He’s been living in Madagascar since 2000 as a local artist and musician. He brings to the organisation his skills and experiences from his own organisation ‘Ecole des Merveilleux’ which he founded the Madagascan arm from the parent company in La Reunion Island which he also co-founded. The ‘Ecole des merveilleux’ has done many successful projects with public and private schools thoughout southern Madagascar, teaching primary and secondary school children art, design, dance, theatre and music (European and traditional Malagasy) alongside large NGO’s such as Aide et Action and Alliance Francais and the local school ministries CISCO. He will be undertaking (alongside Nad) twice weekly classes with the public school children of Ifaty and Mangily in music, dance, theatre and art with an environmental theme.

Nad
26, Madagascar
Nad is a local Malagasy artist and the main partner with Stephan Desseilles for the Malagasy arm of the ‘Ecole des Merveilleux’. He brings his experiences as an artist and work with Stephan to the organisation and is in charge of conducting the art classes for the school children of Ifaty and Mangily. He is also responsible for bring in local Malagasy musicians to teach traditional music to the school children.

Nome Beanjara
32, Madagascar
Msc in Marine biology and socio-economic studies from the marine institute IHSM of Toliara. Nome started off as one of the Malagasy science officers but has now moved to be the Head Socio-economic Officer due to his great work with the new Fishermen’s Association of the Bay of Ranobe, FIMIHARA. Alongside Stephan Ramanakavana, he will be in charge of the education of the FIMIHARA board of directors for good governance and helping them in the creation and implementation of FIMIHARA projects and coordinating community sensibilisation and education for these projects. He speaks fluent French, Malagasy and basic English.

Stephan Ramanakavana
29, Madagascar
Bsc Marine Biology and an environmental technician from the marine institute IHSM of Toliara. He brings to the organisation his experiences in working with WCS and other Malagasy NGOs on marine management, social development and community building projects over the past 4 years and has been named the fixer getting many projects back on track and been successful when others gave up. He will be working alongside Nome with the association FIMIHARA and mainly leading the community sensibilisation and education aspects.

Brian Jones
27, USA
Degree in Biology 2005 from Pennsylvania State University, was a volunteer for Peace Corps for 2 years working in the NE of Madagascar as an agroforestry extension agent. He brings to ReefDoctor his extensive experiences in project creation and coordination and working with local Malagasy. He will be taking the Head Socio-economic position alongside Nome helping and mentoring him and Stephan to undertake the required work. He speaks fluent Malagasy and English.

Jonathan Kealy
31, British
Degree in modern languages with Business from Anglia University – he takes over the rains from Claire Bloomfield as the new Dive Officer and Instructor running under the rules and regulations of PADI International. He brings with him his extensive experience from all over the world in recreational and professional diving activities and with sales and dive operations management. His main duties will be looking after staff and volunteer project diving operations, diving training, certifications and provision of 1st Aid.

Martin
26, Madagascar
local from Ifaty – no university education but has secondary schooling and has brought to the organisation his local knowledge, enthusiasm and infectious motivation to lead the fisheries monitoring project. This project is part of our marine management program and Martin will lead the creation, education and implementation of fisheries monitoring in all villages in the Bay by training motivated people from each village to be, like him, Community Officers who have the ability to survey their village fish catches and present results and also able to survey their reefs using simple rapid monitoring protocols via snorkel.

Manju
29, Madagascar
Local from the village of Ifaty, working alongside Martin in the duties of the creation, education and implementation of fisheries monitoring in all villages in the Bay by training motivated people from each village to be, like him, Community Officers who have the ability to survey their village fish catches and present results and also able to survey their reefs using simple rapid monitoring protocols via snorkel.

Benjamin De Ridder and Carola Zardo
26 and 25, Belgium and South African
Past Rd staff the first specific environmental education officers who where responsible for creating the new marine curriculum for the public primary schools of Ifaty and Mangily, the ReefDoctor kids club and starting the women’s association on their first business project, selling forest honey to tourists. They are now both working in the North of the Bay alongside the village of Mumbo Sud on mangrove restoration and protection project under the collaboration with ReefDoctor and their newly created NGO HONCO (meaning Mangrove in local Malagash). They are also working with the villagers on environmental education, resource management of mangroves and community development (alternative livelihoods).

Thomas Wadsworth
28, British
A qualified marine mechanical technician, diver (PADI DiveMaster) and dive technician and boat pilot who also runs his own underwater remote operated vehicle company used in commercial and research project worldwide http://www.hydrabotix.com – (e.g. research work with the Bermuda Biological Research Station) His work on the project is looking after and training volunteers but he will mainly be bringing to the project his skills in mechanical repairs to help look after the companies dive and boat equipment. He will also conduct training classes in boat and car engine repairs for the local population and use his ROV to investigate the coral reef system.

Julia Smith
24, USA
Degree Environmental studies and geology with minor in Biology from Bowdoin Collage ME. She takes over from Niall Loftus as the main staff intern training and looking after volunteers and participating in all aspects of the organisations programs. She also brings with her experiences of MPA management and reef research from her time working in the St. Eustatius National Marine Park Dutch Antilles.

Charlie Gardner
30, British
MA Environment, Policy and Society Open University, Msc Conservation Biology from Durrell Institute of Conservation ecology University Kent, Bsc Zoology University Leeds. Acts as a technical advisor to ReefDoctor on a number of scientific research topics and also works with WWF Madagascar on their Ranobe Forest PK32 reserve project aiming to preserve the last of the Ranobe Forest the most endemically diverse primary forest in Madagascar.

Louise Jasper
25, British
Bsc Psychology and Zoology University Bristol, works alongside Charlie Gardner as a technical advisor for ReefDoctor and has helped spear head education material for the community and tourists on the spiny forest and littoral environment around the Bay of Ranobe. She has also helped Carola and Benjamin create the marine curriculum for the public primary schools. She also works for ANGAP (Madagascar national parks authority) on community and tourist education projects for parks and reserves in the south of Madagascar.

Pepin
22, Malagasy
is from Ifaty. Pepin joined ReefDoctor to help with our fisheries assessment programme, talking to local fishermen and collectors and gathering data and inputting survey results. This year he joined Fernand on our dive team to train as a boatman.UPDATE – After pepin undertook successful training in our boat and dive operations to took over from Fernand as boat captain when he left in early 2007. Since then Pepin has also been helping our scientific activities and proved himself to be competent in undertaking seagrass and sediment surveys and has successfully finished his Advanced Open Water Certification. Pepin now leaves us as the main boat captain and starts his training to become a marine scientist the first person in the region to undertake this training.

Eric
21, Madagascar
Local from Ifaty village – used to work on the taxi broiusses (public transport) has been taken on since early 2007 and trained to drive our dive boat alongside Peppin and also trained in CPR, boat diving rules and regulations and engine maintenance. Eric now takes over from Pepin to be the Boat Captain for ReefDoctors diving and research operations.

Azy
Malagasy
Azy, our cook, is from Ifaty and lives on the university's property with her family. She is responsible for cooking all of our meals in a traditional Malagasy style using regional produce brought in from Toliara.

Emilie
Malagasy
Emile is Azy's husband and the guardian of the University of Toliara bungalow where we eat our meals. He is also a fisherman and often provides dinner for the team.

Minoche
Malagasy
Minoche is the guardian of the ReefDoctor house and lives on the property with his wife Finy and son Donale (three years old). Minoche is also a fisherman and often contributes to our meals with his catch, while Finy does washing for our staff and for volunteers for a small fee.

Lebon
34, Malagasy
Used to be the guardian for the volunteer and staff huts but due to illness has now moved to be in charge of the new marine museum helping to show tourists around and answer any questions and also help the education staff for school visits and during the ReefDoctor kids club.

Julianne
24, Madagascar
local from Ifaty village – wife of martin our community and fisheries officer and is in charge of the organisations weekly re-supply and cleaning of the University house, volunteer huts and main ReefDoctor house. She is also helping Christina with the women’s association on family planning and new business alternatives. She speaks Malagasy, French and some English despite only having some secondary education.

Johnny
36, Madagascar
local from Ifaty village – is the gardener for the University Toliaras property which we use and is also helping out on our pilot garden plot showing villages and school children how to grow vegetables, medicinal and indigenous plants on the sandy soil using new watering and natural fertilisation techniques.

Lova
28, Madagascar
Local from Mangily – Diploma from Toliara University – used to run library for local adults and children in Mangily. Has great language skills (English, French, Malagasy and German) and has been hired to run our English and French classes for the adults and children of Ifaty and French classes for the school teachers to aid in teaching lessons. She is also the organisations new project secretary helping the project coordinator and expedition Leader with project administrative duties.

Finy
25, Madagascar
the wife of Minoche and local from Ifaty, her main duties are washing cloths for the organisations team and volunteers and works 3 days a week.