Tribute to Jean-Claude Romano
Dear colleagues,
We were saddened to learn of the death of Jean-Claude Romano, a CNRS researcher who spent his last years at the COM and the DIMAR unit in Marseille before finishing his career in Corsica. Jean-Claude was a passionate researcher of marine chemistry techniques who worked all his career to develop methods for observing the physico-chemical properties of the marine environment. I know that many colleagues of the M I O were able to rub shoulders with Jean-Claude Romano in their careers, you can find below some testimonials of friendship.
Richard Sempéré
Some testimonials of friendship:
Charles François Boudouresque:
I knew him better when I was director of the UMR Dimar (with Mireille Harmelin). He was often verbose, but faithful, loyal and so full of ideas! He was very involved in Corsica, and I continued to see Jean-Claude after he left Marseille for Corsica, with Cathy Lugrezy. He worked in particular with the Scientific Council of the Scandula Nature Reserve, of which I am president.
Very friendly. T'abbracciu e bon viaghju Jean-Claude! Carlu-Francè (Charles-François),
Nathaniel Bensoussan, Bouazza El Haikali and Walid Younes:
For all the students he trained, the doctoral students he guided, Jean-Claude Romano was a beacon, a benevolent scientific guide, a brainstorming agitator. In an experience of diversity, social, cultural and scientific, weaving bridges between the shores of our beautiful blue sea, this Mare communis as he liked to call it, and between disciplines. Knowing the past, observing the present to better predict the future, such was his motto, such was our credo. From studies of the surface micro-layer to long-term observation series using 1D strategies - vertical (SOMLIT - Bay of Marseille), horizontal (SORCOM - influence of the Rhone) and over time (CAPCOM - high frequency multi-parameter) - he was a visionary, a daily artisan of a laboratory and field science, the importance of which we are still measuring. Jean-Claude will be missed. Peace to you and all our thoughts for yours.
Michel Lafont :
To situate my meeting with JC ROMANO, when I joined the COM in 1996, I was assigned part-time to the design and maintenance department. In this context, I carried out maintenance and design operations on the continuous acquisition system for physico-chemical parameters in the station's calanque. This CAPCOM program started in 1994. Taking into account the installation of the SOLEMIO buoy in 2013 and the labeling of the COAST-HF program in 2019 I consider JC Romano as a visionary by carrying out HF measurements in the 90s. Given our privileged relationship, I have made several prototypes following these guidelines because JC ROMANO was always looking for innovative solutions for the measurement of physico-chemical parameters with the aim of acquiring new knowledge in the functioning of marine ecosystems (in-situ incubator for the measurement of primary production, in-situ robot for the measurement of alkalinity). And I am not talking about the setting up of several meteorological stations (Marine Station, Planier Lighthouse and on the Friuli Islands). In 2001, following a request for a change of assignment, he took the steps to integrate me into the observation service for which he was responsible and also one of the initiators. He still has to his credit an innovative SOC-RHONE programme (radial between the Marseilles harbour and the Roustant buoy) in order to assess the impact of the RHONE plume on the marine environment in the harbour through continuous surface and profile measurements. Following my integration into the observation service, I carried out several missions for this programme.
During many discussions I was enriched because JC ROMANO knew how to transmit his knowledge.
I took part with him in several missions (Implementation of a chain of measurements and acquisitions of physical and chemical parameters during the CEDRE Programme (LEBANON), CYRCE Programme (Currents and Hydrology of the Mouths of Bonifacio).
In 2018 during a visit to Corsica, I met JC ROMANO, admittedly a little weakened, but still active in data processing and writing articles. Our last conversation was at the beginning of 2020.
Here is my journey with JC ROMANO.