Francois Dufois

Science Officer
Dr. Francois Dufois

Francois is the Science Officer of the Pacific Community Centre for Ocean Science based in Noumea, a position he took up in January 2022. He studied in Southern France (Toulon) where he received a PhD in Physical Oceanography in 2008. His PhD work focused on modelling the sediment dynamics in the Gulf of Lion (Western Mediterranean). He worked at University of Cape Town from 2010 to 2013, looking at the inter-annual variability of coastal dynamics around Southern Africa. He then joined CSIRO in Perth from 2013 to 2016, focusing on primary production in the subtropical gyres. With his vast experience, he is now developing ocean products to support Pacific Island stakeholders resolving crucial issues. 

 

Dr. Katy Soapi

Coordinator - Partnerships and Engagement
Dr. Katy Soapi

Katy is the Coordinator for the Pacific Community Centre for Ocean Science based in Fiji, a position she took up in January 2021. Before joining SPC, Katy was at the University of the South Pacific (USP) holding a range of positions including as a Lecturer at the School of Biological and Chemical Sciences and a Manager of the Pacific Natural Products Research Centre. She grew up on the island of Rendova, in the Solomon Islands. Dr. Soapi completed a bachelor’s degree at the USP, a master’s at the University of Sydney in Australia and a PhD at the University of East Anglia in the UK. She has a keen interest in science capacity development and is passionate about working at the community level on natural resource management.  

Jerome Aucan

Head of PCCOS
Dr. Jerome Aucan

Jerome is the Head of the Pacific Community Centre for Ocean Science based in Noumea, a position he took up in February 2021. Jerome is a physical oceanographer and have been working in the Pacific for over 20 years mostly at the French Institute of Research for the Development (IRD) and the University of Hawaii Sea Level Centre. He contributed to many scientific campaigns at sea deploying instruments and automatic measurement systems. Jerome believes that Pacific regionalism is crucial to address transboundary ocean issues and invests is Pacific people to deliver the best available science to inform local decisions.

Pierre-Yves Charpentier

Project Adviser
Mr. Pierre-Yves Charpentier

Pierre-Yves is the Project Adviser for the Pacific Community Centre for Ocean Science based in Noumea, a position he took up in July 2021. He is a communicative and dynamic project manager with over 12 years of experience in design, planning, management, and evaluation of development projects. Pierre-Yves is originally from Quebec, Canada and has been working for SPC in the Pacific since 2019. Before joining PCCOS, Pierre-Yves worked for the Human Rights and Social Development (HRSD) division of SPC, Oxfam and other NGOs in various programme management, design, and monitoring, evaluation, and learning roles. He is a strong believer that participatory methods and co-design and co-implementation are key to empower people and put them at the centre of every initiative.