Page 6 - SPC SOPAC Division Newsletter 3_4_July_to_Dec

For more information visit our Website: www.sopac.org

Mead Road, Nabua, Suva, Fiji Islands. Phone: +679 338 1377 Fax: +679 337 0040 E-mail: [email protected]

News Desk

SOPAC News Writer/Compiler/Editor: Lore Ratuyawa

Graphic Artist: Navneet Lal

Staff Profile - Robert Smith

Robert has dedicated 24 years (and

counting) of service to SOPAC and is

currently the Senior Adviser for Marine

Geophysics in SOPAC’s Ocean and Islands

Programme. Robert is a geophysics

graduate from Curtin University in Perth

(formerly the West Australian Institute of

Technology (WAIT)), Australia. Before joining

SOPAC, Robert worked extensively on oil

explorations in different countries, such

as Saudi Arabia, US (Colorado) and Africa

(Sudan). Robert then returned to work

with the Fiji Government at the Minerals

Resources Department before finally joining

SOPAC.

Where are you from and what was it

like growing up there?

I was born in Australia but moved to Fiji when

I was 2 years old. Even though I pursued

university studies in Australia and worked

on oil explorations on different continents,

I always come back to live in Suva (Fiji).

Growing up in Fiji was great. I have a lot of

happy memories, one of which was joining

the First Suva Sea Scouts, which was the

only Sea Scout unit in Fiji then, and learning

seamanship for the first time.

What position(s) have you held at

SOPAC?

I have a whole heap of business cards

with different titles, but the work hasn’t

changed. I’m now a Senior Advisor in

Marine Geophysics. Before that I was

a Marine Geologist. My background

is actually Geophysics and I started in

Petroleum exploration. That’s how I came

to be back in Fiji working for MRD because,

at that time, exploration was happening.

How has your work changed?

The essence of the work has never

changed. It doesn’t matter how you wrap

it, you collect data the same way- it’s just

that now you use better tools. The new

generation surveyors may not understand

how hard the surveys used to be with

trisponders and huge logistical challenges.

It made the surveys much longer. GPS was

a God-send. We were able to reduce the

equipment down so we could air-freight

it. Before, you used to send everything by

sea so the time between surveys took a lot

longer because you’d have to wait for the

equipment to come back.

What do you like about working at

SOPAC?

The challenges have made it really

interesting as well as the trust in the

organisation to allow us to move into really

high-tech tools. When we acquired the

multi-beam back in the late-90s, there

were technical advisers outside who were

against us, saying it was too difficult for us

to handle. But management had confidence

in us and it’s really been a blessing for the

organization. It really improves the quality of

the surveys and the data sets and it allows

us to do a lot more.

What is your favourite SOPACmemory?

I have lots of stupid ones I can think of.

Those are the ones that stick in your mind,

but you can’t repeat those. But this last

mission in PNG was a first — we were

pressured for time, so we finished up

doing the cable route survey in the dark.

This causes issues and then there is the

challenge of learning how to work around

them. You never know what curve ball is

going to come your way. But it’s very rare

that I’ve haven’t completed a survey. I feel

like I’m a Canadian Mountie. The objective

is to do it- so you go do it and get it done.

What might (someone) be surprised to

know about you?

Well outside of work, I am a regular

husband, father and buddy so I enjoy

spending time at home with my family or

at the plantation, farming for subsistence

use. I also enjoy time with my friends over

a few drinks or out fishing. Speaking of

fishing, one of my greatest interests is

fishery habitats, especially deep sea fishes.

Someday, I would like to venture into this

as well.

Any advice to the younger staff?

Work hard. Ask questions. Show initiative.

Don’t just sit behind a computer and

facebook all day. Really be interested in

the work. Some people think ‘I have a

computer, I have ARC-GIS’ and that’s

about it, but GIS is no good unless you

have the data to work with. Be enthusiastic

and willing to work odd hours. That’s the

nature of the business.

SOPAC Units/Projects Newsletter Links:

1. The Prospect: Deep Sea Mining

http://www.sopac.org/dsm/public/files/DSMP%20Newsletter%20The%20Prospect%20Issue%202%20September%202013.pdf

Page 6 - SPC SOPAC Division Newsletter 3_4_July_to_Dec_2013