23rd NMEA Conference

August 3-7, Humacao, Puerto Rico (Palmas del Mar Resort)
Theme: An island Journey in Ecological Diversity

Executive Committee

President: Bill Hastie (OR) (1997-98)
President-Elect: Joy L. Wolf (CA)
Membership Secretary: Sharon H. Walker (MS)
Treasurer: E. Bruce Carlsten (NY)
Secretary: Pam Stryker (TX)
Editor of Current: Nora Deans (CA)
Editor of NMEA news: Catherine Seymour
Administrative Assistant (National Office): Frank Green/ Catherine Seymour

Board of Directors:

(1995-98): Linda Maxson, Sharon Meeker (NH), Rob Moir (MA)
(1996-99): John Dindo (AL), Terri Kirby Hathaway (NC), Gene Williamson (OR)
(1997-00): Vicki Clark (VA), Robyn Dobyns (NC), George Duane (NH)
(1998-01):Rita Bell (CA), Cathy Lepore (CT), David Niebuhr (VA)

Chapter Representatives:

  • FMSEA (Florida Marine Science Educators Association): Jackie Fletcher (FL)

  • GAME (Georgia Association of Marine Education): Gail Joiner (GA)

  • GLEAMS (Great Lakes Educators of Aquatic and Marine Science): Bill Simpkins (OH)

  • GOMMEA (Gulf of Maine Marine Education Association): Ann Reid (NH)

  • MAMEA (Mid-Atlantic Marine Educators Association ): Andy Wood (NC)

  • MME (Massachusetts Marine Educators):Joe LaPointe (MA)

  • NAME (Northwest Aquatic and Marine Educators): Karen Blyler (WA)/ Mike Spranger (WA)

  • NJMEA (New Jersey Marine Education Association): Mary Masterson (NJ)

  • NYSMEA (New York State Marine Educators Association): E. Bruce Carlsten (NY)

  • OCEANIA: Mary Gullickson (HI)

  • SAME (Southern Association of Marine Educators): Belinda Duke/ Jean May-Brett (LA)

  • SCMEA (South Carolina Marine Educators Association): Paula Keener-Chavis (SC)

  • SENEME (Southeastern New England Marine Educators): Cathi Lepore (CT)

  • SWMEA (Southwest Marine Educators Association): Diane Sweeney/ Beth Thomsen

  • TEAMS (Tennessee Educators of Aquatic and Marine Science): Diane Nelson (TN)

  • TMEA (Texas Marine Educators Association): Rick Tinnin (TX)

Awards:

James Centorino Award: Andy Wood (NC)
Outstanding Teacher Award: Deborah Mosher (VA)
Marine Education Award: Veronique Robigou (WA)
President’s Award: Bruce Carlsten (NY) and Sarah Schoedinger (DC)

Andy Wood (NC), Deborah Mosher (VA), and Bruce Carlsten (NY) were three of the award winners. (Photographer is unknown)

Conference Highlights

1998 Conference Program

The beautiful Palmas del Mar Resort was the setting of the 1998 conference. During this conference, three plenary sessions taught conference participants about the Caribbean region. Dr. La Verne Ragster, Vice-President of Research and Outreach at the University of the Virgin Islands talked about “Marine Education in the Greater Caribbean;” Dr. Gillian Cambers, Researcher with the University of Puerto Rico Sea Grant College Program spoke on “From the Rainforest to the Coral Reef;” and Dr. Manuel Valdes Pizzini, Director of the University of Puerto Rico Sea Grant College Program discussed “Human Impact on the Caribbean Sea Resources.”

Left: Conference Magnet

Photographs by Susan Leach Snyder

Left: Palmas de Mar Resort was a beautiful site for a conference. (Photographer is unknown)

Dr. Alida Ortiz (left) and Laura Cotte co-chaired the conference. (Photographer is unknown)

The Conference provided time for NMEA Board Long Range Planning and meetings for Sea Grant Marine Educators and NMEA Chapters.

MAMEA held its meeting to plan the year's activities. (Photographer is unknown)

John Dindo (AL) and Sharon Walker (GA) discussed business poolside. (Photographer is unknown)

In all, 118 concurrent sessions were offered during the conference, with topics ranging from how to address diversity in the classroom and how to make costumes for children’s programs to a discussion of new marine software, curricula, and research. Several of the sessions were presented in Spanish.

Many people attended the BRIDGE session, where they learned how to use the web-based Ocean Science Education Teacher Resource Center. (Photographer is unknown)

Frannie Coopersmith (HI) and George Duane (MA) enjoyed the conference sessions! (Photographer is unknown)

Evening events included a welcome reception at Wyndham Palmas, an evening in Old San Juan, the NMEA Awards dinner and Stegner concert, and a beach party and NMEA Auction. Few will forget the excitement of the evening of the beach party when a nest of sea turtles decided to hatch before our very eyes

Right: Could this be President Bill Hastie doing the limbo with THE PIKE at the auction? Below: Don't tell me...this good looking guy is being auctioned off. No, it's just his shirt that's being auctioned! (Photographer is unknown)

The last day of the conference was for field trips. Trip options included hiking in a rainforest, visiting Old San Juan and the Bacardi Rum Factory, exploring a mangrove forest, touring the Arecibo Observatory, snorkeling, deep-sea fishing, and open-water diving. A special activity at the conference was a one-day coral reef workshop that took place on the eastern coast of Puerto Rico.

The field trips were awesome! (Photographs by Susan Leach Snyder)

NMEA published three issues of Current: The Journal of Marine Education. The first issue was titled “Ocean Giants, ” the second was “Celebrating 30 Years of Sea Grant,” and the third was “El Niño and La Niña.” The first issue was made possible by the generous support of the Munson Foundation. That issue focused on the billfishes, sharks, tunas and other pelagic species that roam the seas. The second issue was funded by the National Sea Grant Program. Within this issue, the networking history of Sea Grant and NMEA was discussed.