2002

27th NMEA Conference

July 22-26, New London, Connecticut (Connecticut College)
Theme: The Race to Hell Gate: Estuaries to the Abyss

Executive Committee

President: Vicki Clark (VA) (2001-02)
President-Elect: Wendy Allen (SC)
Membership Secretary: Sharon Walker (MS)
Treasurer: John Trowbridge (LA)
Secretary: Jean May-Brett (LA)
Editor of Current: Lisa Tooker
Editors of NMEA news: Johnette Bosarge (MS) and Dawne Hard
Administrative Assistant (National Office): Johnette Bosarge (MS)

Board of Directors:

(1999-02): Dru Clarke (KS), John Dindo (AL), Terri Kirby Hathaway (NC),
(2000-03): Julie Childers (FL), Susan Snyder (OH), Pam Stryker (TX),
(2001-04) Rita Bell (CA), Beth Day (MD), Thaxter Tewksbury (CT)

Chapter Representatives:

CARIBWA (Caribbean and Western Atlantic): Steve Pionteh (Curacao, Netherlands Antilles)
FMSEA (Florida Marine Science Educators Association): Mark DeCrosta (FL)
GAME (Georgia Association of Marine Education): Maryellen Timmons (GA)
GLEAMS (Great Lakes Educators of Aquatic and Marine Science): Rachel Gross (IL)
GOMMEA (Gulf of Maine Marine Education Association): Don Hudson (ME)
MAMEA (Mid-Atlantic Marine Educators Association ): Andy Wood (NC)/ Beth Hawk-Broadhurst
MME (Massachusetts Marine Educators): Howard Dimmick (MA)/ Linda McInosh (MA)
NAME (Northwest Aquatic and Marine Educators): Alan Rammer (WA)
NJMEA (New Jersey Marine Education Association): Neil Gilbert (NJ)/ John Wnek (NJ)
NYSMEA (New York State Marine Educators Association): Bruce Carlsten (NY)
OCEANIA: Mary Gullickson (HI)
SAME (Southern Association of Marine Educators): John DiPlacido/ Willie Heard
SCMEA (South Carolina Marine Educators Association): Elaine McClure (SC)
SENEME (Southeastern New England Marine Educators): Cathi Lepore (CT)
SWMEA (Southwest Marine Educators Association): Rita Bell (CA)/ Joy Wolf (CA)
TEAMS (Tennessee Educators of Aquatic and Marine Science): Leeann Sipes (Wampler) (TN)
TMEA (Texas Marine Educators Association): Rick Tinnin (TX)/ Jack Clason (TX)

Committee Chairs:

Awards Committee: Kathleen Heidenreich (WA)
Bylaws Committee: Rick Tinnin (TX)
Chapters Committee: ?
Conference Committee: Paula Keener-Chavis (SC)
Conservation Committee: Julie Childers (FL)
Executive Committee: ?
Finance Committee: ?
Grants/Funding Committee: ?
History Committee: Mike Spranger
International Committee: Vicki Osis (OR)
Long-Range Committee: John Dindo (AL)
NSTA Liaison Committee: Jean May-Brett (LA)
Outreach Committee: Bill Hastie (OR)
Publications Committee: David Niebuhr (VA) and Lisa Tooker (CA)
Scholarship Committee: Ann Coopersmith (HI)

Awards:

James Centorino Award: Hugo Freudenthal (NY)
Outstanding Teacher Award: Susan Wertz (WA)
Marine Education Award: Leslie R. Sautter (SC)
President's Award: Johnette Bosarge (MS) and Vicki Osis (OR)

Conference Highlights

Conference registration officially began on Monday, the 22nd of July, but Sea Grant Educators and the NMEA Board began meeting on the preceding Saturday and Sunday.

The NMEA Board dinner took place aboard the USNS Oceanographic Survey Ship, Mary Sears, on July 21st. (Photograph by Susan Leach Snyder)

Following registration on Monday, another Board Meeting as well as committee meetings took place. Then, Conference Co-chairs Cathi Lepore and Thaxter Tewksbury welcomed everyone to the conference, and encouraged us to wear our new red shirts. We were told that the title of the conference "The Race to Hell Gate" is based on the names of two geographic locations along Long Island Sound. At the eastern end of the sound is "The Race. " "Hell Gate" is at western region of the sound. Vast amounts of water move through these two spots.

Above: : Conference Program

Left: Conference Bag

Below: Conference Magnet, Bottle Opener, and T-Shirt.

(Photographs by Susan Leach Snyder)

Following Cathi's and Thaxter's comments, Dr. Carole Baldwin presented the first Plenary Session: "Galapagos: Way Beyond Darwin." This was followed by an Exhibitors' Reception with hors d'oevres. At the reception, NMEA friends, old and new, conversed and visited the exhibits. Speaking of new friends, 36 people participated in the "Buddy Program" where first time conference participants were paired with seasoned mentors.

Left: This notice describes a special opportunity for Conference Participants to tour the USNS Mary Sears. Sharon Walker (MS) had made special arrangements with the Navy for this special treat for NMEA. (Click the image to enlarge it.)

Tuesday began with updates and Plenary Sessions with Drs. Ralph Lewis and Nick Bellantoni. Dr. Lewis, Connecticut State Geologist, presented "The Geologic History of Long Island Sound." Dr. Bellantoni, Connecticut State Archaeologist, spoke about "Human Adaptation to the Long Island Sound Coastline." Following these sessions, concurrent sessions began. The 50 sessions were organized into three tracks: 1) a presentation by members of Ships to Save the Waters, 2) Marine Mammals Track, and 3) Southern New England Habitats Track.

Aboard the tall ship Ernestina, NMEA folks learned about ship-board student programs.

(Photographs by Susan Leach Snyder)

The special event that night was an evening at Mystic Seaport. Despite a steady drizzle, a great time was had by all. Participants visited the recreated 19th-century village of historic buildings and got to board the Charles W. Morgan, the only remaining wooden whaling vessel in the world.

Left: The Charles W. Morgan

Below: A group visiting the Mystic Seaport village included (left to right): Durrell Rader (CT), Arla Jessen SC), Holly Schneider (SC), Brae Rafferty (CT), Robyn Bungay (OK), Bob Rocha (MA), Marco Braganca (Portugal), Leslie Sautter SC), Joe Hage (CT), Carmelina Livingston (SC), and Mrs. Joe Hage (CT). (Photo: Courtesy of Bob Rocha)

Also, participants were treated to a traditional New England lobster bake along the banks of the Mystic River. As folks ate lobster, clams, and corn on the cob, a local singing group serenaded with sea chanteys.

Willie Younger (TX), left, and Beth Day (MD) and Steve Stewart (MI) (below) enjoyed the lobster feast. (Photographs by Susan Leach Snyder)

Wednesday began with a Past Presidents' breakfast and daily updates.

Above: NMEA Past Presidents at breakfast: Vicki Osis (OR) (1990-91), Valerie Chase (MD) (1989-90), Bob Abrams (NY) (1979-80), Lundie Spence (NC) (1984-85), Paula Keener-Chavis (SC) (2000-01), Rick Tinnin (TX) (1987-88), and John Dindo (AL) (1993-94). (Photograph by Susan Leach Snyder)

Next was an exciting Plenary Session with Dr. Clyde Roper, curator at the Smithsonian Museum of Natural History. His presentation was titled: "Where Are You? The Quest for the Giant Squid."

Left: Clyde Roper (Photo: Courtesy of Bob Rocha)

Following Dr. Roper's talk, everyone was whisked off by bus to the Avery Point campus of the University of Connecticut. Upon arrival, there were classroom sessions, field programs, lunch and chapter meetings. The NMEA Conservation Committee sponsored a Conservation Track of concurrent sessions. In the late afternoon, everyone returned to Connecticut College for a social, silent auction, dinner, live auction, and dancing to the tunes of Eddie and the Hit Men DJs.

Below: Look at all those conference goers wearing their red conference shirts. (Photo: Courtesy of Bob Rocha)

NAME (Northwest Aquatic and Marine Educators) sat on a smooth rock for their chapter meeting.

(Photograph: Courtesy of Vicki Osis)

Right: Terri Kirby Hathaway (NC) and Bill Simpkins (DC) were among the many who wore their new shirts to Avery Point. But Terri, what kind of fashion statement are you trying to make with a crab on your head?

Below Left: David Niebuhr attended Lundie Spence's (NC) session "Problem Solving Ocean Phenomena Using Remote Sensed Data." Below Right: Conference Co-Chair Cathi Lepore assisted Clyde Roper in his concurrent session on cephalopods. (Photographs by Susan Leach Snyder)

The silent auction ( left) and the live auction (below) were "hits" at the conference. Thaxter Tewksbury (CT), with the help of his daughters auctioned off THE PIKE.

Photographs by Susan Leach Snyder

Some of the people on the dance floor that evening were co-chair Thaxter Tewksbury's wife and two of their three daughters on the left. Bob Cummings (NY) is at front right in the dark blue shirt. (Photo: Courtesy of Bob Rocha)

Thursday morning's events began with the Sea Faire & Sea Swap and Daily Updates. Then there was an exciting Plenary Session with Casey Carle and Bubble-Mania. Casey combined entertainment with the science of bubbles. His act was followed by more concurrent sessions dealing with topics as diverse as "Fractals -The Footprints of Chaos in the Marine Environment" to "Long Island Sound's Good to Me." There were two concurrent tracks: Marine Mammals and Long Island Sound. That evening was the awards ceremony, the NMEA 2003 Conference preview, and an evening at Mystic Aquarium with the Stegner Lecturer Chris Rowlands and dancing to High Times.

Above: Casey Carle and Bubble-Mania...How does he do that? (Photograph by Susan Leach Snyder)

Below: A group posed for this picture at the aquarium. Left to Right: George Duane (MA), Wendy Allen (SC), Hugo Freudenthal (NY), Vicki Clark (VA) Andy Wood (NC), Pam Ellis (MA), Joe Hage (CT) , and Robyn Bungay (OK). (Photo: Courtesy of Bob Rocha)

Friday's Field Trips included "Whale Watching by the Sea and the Natural History of Whales," "Birding in the Barn Island Marsh: An Examination of Trophic Linkages," "Thames River (Estuary Study," "Block Island Trip," "Mystic Seaport and Mystic Aquarium & Institute for Exploration," "Explore the Natural History of the Bluefish," and "Kayak and Explore the Ecology of Ninigret Pond." That evening a good-bye social and barbecue were topped off with the sounds of Connecticut's First State Troubadour, Tom Callinan.

Fred Chanania (VA) and Anne Bicker (NY) looked for benthic invertebrates in the bottom sediments during the Thames River Estuary Study. (Photograph by Susan Leach Snyder)

After all the bills were paid, the net gain from the conference was $18,036.10. [$13,527.07 went to NMEA and $4,509.03 went to the conference host chapter, Southern New England Marine Educators (SENEME).] The auction proceeds totaled $9,000. Two thousand-five hundred dollars was set aside for the 2003 NMEA Scholarship Fund.

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.