Dr. Razafinjatovo has a strong interest in the marine environment. He has several years working in the marine field for the government, private industry, and a non-profit organization. He started his career as a naval officer in the Madagascar Navy where he was mainly involved in maritime law enforcement. He also served as the Personal Assistant to the President of Madagascar while in the Navy. His experience with a non-profit organization was with Conservation International where he was in charge of the marine program in its Madagascar office for three years. Dr. Razafinjatovo was a marine surveyor certified by an association of the main insurance companies in Madagascar. He received his Master of Science degree in Maritime Safety and Environmental Protection from the World Maritime University in Malmo, Sweden. He also earned his Master’s degree in Marine Affairs from the University of Rhode Island while he was a recipient of the Fulbright Scholarship. His main expertise is in marine policy thanks to his extensive studies and experience in various marine-related industries. Dr. Razafinjatovo’s dissertation was on marine spatial planning while he completed his doctoral degree from George Mason University. He investigated the development of a marine policy and its implementation at the national and local levels for the promotion of marine spatial planning in Madagascar, while drawing lessons from the U.S. and Europe. Currently, Dr. Razafinjatovo is a Marine Transportation Specialist, working as a contractor for the US Coast Guard.