2006

31st NMEA Conference

July 15-22, New York, New York
Theme: New York, NY: A City of Islands

Executive Committee

President: Sarah Schoedinger (NC) (2005-2006)
President-Elect: Thaxter Tewksbury (CT)
Membership Secretary: Sharon Walker (MS)
Treasurer: Don Hudson (ME)
Secretary: Terri Kirby Hathaway (NC)/ Beth Jewell (VA)
Editor of Current: Lisa Tooker (CA)
Editor of NMEA news: Valerie Winn (MS)
Administrative Assistant (National Office): Johnette Bosarge (MS)

Board of Directors:

(2003-06): Elaine McClure (SC), Gene Williamson (OR), Maryellen Timmons (GA),
(2004-07) Beth Day-Miller (VA), Beth Jewell (VA),
(2005-2007) Shelia Brown (MS), (2005-2008) Tami Lunsford (DE), Amy Miller-Gollenberg (HI), Eric Simms (NJ/CA),
(2006-2007) Mellie Lewis (MD),
(2006-2009) Amy Holt Cline (NH), Padgett Kelly (TN), Craig Strang (CA).

Chapter Representatives:

CARIBWA (Caribbean and Western Atlantic): Martin A. Keeley (Cayman Islands)
FMSEA (Florida Marine Science Educators Association): Julie Childers (FL)
GAME (Georgia Association of Marine Education): Leigh Scott (GA)/ Maryellen Timmons (GA)
GLEAMS (Great Lakes Educators of Aquatic and Marine Science): Rachel Gross (IL)/Elizabeth Hinchey Malloy
GOMMEA (Gulf of Maine Marine Education Association): Justine Glynn (ME)
MAMEA (Mid-Atlantic Marine Educators Association): Susan Haynes (DC)/Amy Sauls
MME (Massachusetts Marine Educators): Sue Nourse (MA)
NAME (Northwest Aquatic and Marine Educators): Pat Williams (OR)/ Julie Hahn (WA)
NJMEA (New Jersey Marine Education Association): Barbara Boyd (NJ)
NYSMEA (New York State Marine Educators Association): Hugo Freudenthal (NY)
OCEANIA: Sylvia Spalding (HI)
SAME (Southern Association of Marine Educators): Joan Turner (AL)/Shelia Brown
SCMEA (South Carolina Marine Educators Association): Carmelina Livingston (SC)/ Colette Dryden (SC)
SENEME (Southeastern New England Marine Educators): Diana Payne (CT)
SWMEA (Southwest Marine Educators Association): Diane Sweeney (CA)/ Elizabeth Keenan (CA)
TEAMS (Tennessee Educators of Aquatic and Marine Science): Courtney Kroll Thompson(TN)

TMEA (Texas Marine Educators Association): Pam Stryker (TX)

Committee Chairs:

Awards Committee: Vicki Clark (VA)
Bylaws Committee: Rick Tinnin (TX)
Chapters Committee: Thaxter Tewksbury (CT)/ Lynn Whitley (CA)
Conference Committee: Paula Keener-Chavis (SC)
Conservation Committee: Julie Childers (FL)
Executive Committee: Sarah Schoedinger (NC)/Thaxter Tewksbury (CT)
Finance Committee: Don Hudson (ME)
Grants/Funding Committee: Sharon Walker (MS)
History Committee: Susan Snyder (OH/FL)
International Committee: Peter Tuddenham (VA)
Long-Range Planning Committee: John Dindo (AL) and Wendy Allen (SC)
NSTA Liaison Committee: Beth Jewell (VA)
Ocean Literacy: Craig Strang (CA)
Outreach Committee: Bill Hastie (OR)
Publications Committee: David Niebuhr (VA/FL)
Scholarship Committee:Ann Coopersmith (HI)

Awards:

The following awards were presented at the business meeting at the National Conference in New York City on July 18, 2006.

James Centorino Award: Janice McDonnell (NJ), presented by Vicki Clark.
Outstanding Teacher Award: Margery Misenheimer (NC), presented by Vicki Clark.
Marine Education Award: Katrina Barrett (CT), presented by Vicki Clark.
President's Award: College of Exploration, Peter Tuddenham (VA); and Chair of NMEA History Committee, Susan Snyder (OH), presented by Sarah Schoedinger

Conference Highlights:

The "Big Apple" was the site of the 30th Anniversary of NMEA. Co-chairs for the conference were Sarah Richards (NY) and Thomas Green (NY). Thanks to their outstanding organizational skills and the conference committee's hard work, the conference was a great success.

The celebration began on Saturday, July 15th at Long Island University in Brooklyn with the NMEA Long Range Board Planning Meeting and the Finance Committee Meeting. Registration began in the afternoon and the Board Dinner took place that evening.

Above Left: Long Island University Brooklyn Campus Flags.

Left and Above Right: Campus signs welcoming NMEA.

Left : Conference Committee Member Lou Siegel (NY) was on the job with his cell phone in hand.

Above: Left to right: Marty Kutikoff (NY), Ed Wilensky (NY), and Merryl Kafka (NY) were ready to greet people at registration.

Left: These two young men, Theo McKenzie (NY) and Amad (NY) had fun while working at registration. (Photo: Courtesy of Martin Kutikoff (NY).

Below: Some of the many conference volunteers posed for a picture. (Photo by Lou Siegel).

Left: Conference Bag; Below: A new NMEA ruler in our conference bag is meant to be passed on to a potential new NMEA member.

Left: 30th Anniversary lapel pins were available for $10.00. If you are still interested in purchasing one, please contact SRichards@saintannsny.org .The money from the sale of these pins will help rebuild the National Office, destroyed by Hurricane Katrina in 2005.

Throughout the day on Sunday, July 16th, Registration continued, the Board held its meeting, and NOAA had an Ocean Exploration Workshop. In the afternoon, the President's Circle met; and the Awards, Conference and Chapter Committees conducted business.

Above Left: At the NMEA Board Meeting, President Sarah Schoedinger (NC) lead a discussion on the Long Range Plan, while Thaxter Tewksbury (CT), President-Elect, sat nearby. David Niebuhr (VA) Publications Committee Chair and Lynn Whitley (CA) sat behind them. Above Right: Beth Jewell (VA), Chair of the NSTA Liaison Committee, and Past President Rita Bell (CA) responded to something that was being said. Left: Craig Strang (CA), Ocean Literacy Chair, shared his committee's work.

Left: The Presidents Circle. Front Row: Rita Bell (2004-05), Bill Hastie (1997-98), Vicki Clark (2001-02), Wendy Allen (2002-03); Back Row: Jeff Sandler (1984-85), Valerie Chase (1989-90), Rosanne Fortner (1988-89), Bob Abrams (1979-80).

In the evening, exhibits were perused by the NMEA crowd. The buffet reception with ethnic foods and the Marcus Persiani Jazz Trio were enjoyed by all.

Left: Exhibitors and Vendors had lots of visitors (Photo by Susan L. Snyder)

Below : Takeshi Yamada discusses his natural history curiosities, which he created by combining biofacts and art. (Photo by Lou Siegel)

Below: Sylvia Spalding (HI) shares information about Green Sea Turtles, a representative from NOAA talks about NOAA's marine curriculum, Richard Anderson (CA) talks with a vender, and a model is used to describe the Hudson River Estuary. (Photographs by Lou Siegel (NY))

Below Luntey Commons was the site of the ethnic food sampling event

Above Left: Dru Clarke (KS) and Claudette Upton (Cayman Island.) had fun getting reacquainted. Right: Tami Lunsford (DE) (at left) visited with three educators from the Aquarium of the Pacific in Long Beach.

Left: Lou Siegel (NY) and Lisa Breslof (NY) introduced the Marcus Persiani Jazz Trio band (Below).

This gala event was followed by Merryl Kafka's (NY) introduction of Ron Schweiger (NY). Schweiger's keynote address was on the history of New York City with an emphasis on Brooklyn.

Left: Merryl Kafka and Ron Schweiger

Following Schweiger's presentation, the crowd was treated to the Stegner Performance, Arm-Of-The-Sea Theatre's presentation titled, "At the Turning of the Tide." In this performance, masks, puppets, colorful props, and music were used to portray the food chain, history of the settlement of the Hudson River Estuary, and modern battles to clean up the river.

Top Left: The percussionist and sound effects man set each scene as the others in the performance acted out the scene.

Monday, July 17th began early with breakfast. Some NMEAers attended the Buddy Breakfast, where first-year attendees were paired with seasoned veterans. Throughout the day, registration and exhibits continued.

Left: On a table near registration, the History Committee displayed a timeline of NMEA's 30 year history, as well as a flag, shirts, conference bags, and NMEA journals of the past.

Below: Adjacent to the History display, the Conference Committee displayed world and US maps so that conference attendees could place pins in their hometowns. The pins were color-coded for "Sea Grant Representative, Teacher (K-12), Teacher (University), Museum Educator, etc.) As the week progressed, the maps became crowded with pins.

Beginning at 8:00 AM on Monday, two videos ("Colors of the Sea" and "NMEA Takes NY") were shown, followed by the keynote address by Sidney Horenstein.

Horenstein discussed the Hudson River as it flows through six geological terrains. Following his presentation, poster sessions and concurrent sessions took place.

Left: Sidney Horenstein

This was the first conference in which each session presenter was asked to identify which of the Essential Principles defined by the publication Ocean Literacy... The Essential Principles of Ocean Sciences K-12 would be addressed by his/her session. In the conference program, beside the description of each session, the Essential Principle number was listed. The principles included: 1) Earth has one big ocean with many features. 2) The ocean and life in the ocean shape the features of Earth. 3) The ocean is a major influence on weather and climate. 4) The ocean makes Earth habitable. 5) The ocean supports a great diversity of life and ecosystems. 6) The ocean and humans are inextricably linked. 7) The ocean is largely unexplored.

At one of the more than 25 concurrent sessions before lunch, Jim Wharton (FL) and Laura Diederick (FL) of the Smithsonian Marine Station presented "Who are the Meiofauna?" Attendees to the session enjoyed learning about different kinds of meiofauna and then trying out curricula, creating models of meiofauna adapted to different environmental conditions.

Above: Jim Wharton and Laura Diederick presented a Powerpoint slideshow of meiofauna. Left: Jane Breidahl (Australia) holds two meiofauna models made during the session.

Participants picked up box lunches in the dorm cafeteria. Some took their lunches to Ocean Literacy and Outreach Committee meetings.

Below: The Ocean Literacy Committee meeting had many participants. Part of the group, shown from left to right in this picture, are Rosanne Fortner (NC), Diana Payne (CT), Mellie Lewis (MD), Craig Strang (CA), Carmelina Livingston (SC), Gene Williamson (OR), Francisca Cava (DC), Sara Schoedinger (NC), and Beth Day-Miller (VA).

At 2:30, it was time to board the busses and depart for the American Museum of Natural History.

Upon arriving at the museum, participants had two hours to tour the museum on their own.

Left: One of the many dioramas at the museum. Below: Rosanne Fortner (NC) and Helen Domske (NY) posed beside a seal diorama.

Left: The Darwin Exhibit was a big hit at the museum. At right is Andrew Wilson (VA).

Below Left: Gail gets close and personal with a sea snake. Below Right: Jim Snyder (OH/FL) admires a giant tubeworm display.

Left: Jay Holmes (NY) points out the tree of life.

After touring, everyone met in the Hall of Ocean Life for cocktails, and to listen to the Brooklyn Bridge Trio and guest speakers.

Left: A life size whale is suspended from the ceiling in the Hall of Ocean Life above the NMEA crowd.

Below Top Row Left to Right: Myles Gordon (Vice President for Education at the American Museum of Natural History) (Photo by Lou Siegel), Mark Siddall (curator) (Photograph by Susan L. Snyder) , Bottom Row Left to Right: Kate Holmes (Biodiversity Specialist), and Richard Ellis (painter and author) were the featured speakers at the museum.)

But, the evening wasn't't over. At 7:45 busses were boarded to take people to the 8-course banquet dinner in Chinatown.

Left: A group of NMEA conference attendees enjoy their seafood a bit too much at the Chinese dinner. (Photograph: Courtesy of Mark Oswell)

Below: At another table, good friends shared the meal (Photo by Lou Siegel.)

Left: The first of 8-courses to arrive at a table. (Photo by Lou Siegel.)

Below: Bob Rocha (MA) took this picture of one of the courses he was about to eat: seaweed, octopus, jellyfish, and duck.

Another early day, Tuesday, July 18th, began with breakfast. Sea Grant had its meeting from 7:30 AM to 8:30 AM.

Left: Present at the the Sea Grant meeting was Retired Navy Vice Admiral and Undersecretary of Commerce for NOAA, Dr. Conrad Lautenbacher. (Photograph by Ann Reid (NH).)

Next, Keynote Speaker Dr. Conrad Lautenbacher talked about the history of NOAA and some of its day-to-day functions to the entire NMEA membership. He explained that NOAA's vision is "An informed society that uses a comprehensive understanding of the role of the oceans, coasts and atmosphere in the global ecosystem to make the best social and economic decisions." NOAA's mission is "To understand and predict changes in the Earth's environment and manage coastal and marine resources to meet the Nation's economic, social and environmental needs." Admiral Lautenbacher explained that the best way to get through to the public about the importance of the oceans is to emphasize the importance of fishing industries for commerce and recreation. Protecting marine habitats that are nurseries to these fisheries contributes to sustainable fisheries.

Admiral Lautenbacher's presentation was followed by 4 poster sessions and 15 concurrent sessions.

Left: During one poster session, Mary Cerullo presented "Science Literature to Promote Science Literacy." She discussed lessons she learned while researching and writing 12 children's books about the ocean.

Chapter meetings and a box lunch followed the sessions. Next was the 30th Anniversary Observance/ Business Meeting/ Awards Ceremony/Preview photos of Auction Items/ and the 2007 Conference Preview.

Above: Prior to the beginning of the annual NMEA meeting, there was the presentation of the Coastal America Award. The Coastal America Partnership Award recognizes outstanding efforts with multi-agencies to protect, preserve or restore coastal resources to increase public awareness and education. From left to right: John Wright (US Army Corps of Engineers), Teresa Ippolito (NY EPA), Lisa Garrison (NYC Environmental Fund, Hudson River Foundation), Alan Steinberg (Regional Administrator, EPA), Merryl Kafka (NY Aquarium), and Bob Cummings (NY Aquarium).

The annual meeting began with President Sarah Schoedinger (NC) reviewing the accomplishments of 2006.

Left: Sarah Schoedinger called Sarah Richards (NY) to the stage to thank her and her co-chair, Tom Greene (NY) for hosting such a wonderful conference.(Photo by Lou Siegel.)

Then, Schoedinger and Vicki Clark (VA), Chair of the Awards Committee, presented the annual awards:

James Centorino Award: Janice McDonnell (NJ)
Outstanding Teacher Award: Margery Misenheimer (NC)
Marine Education Award: Katrina Barrett (CT)
President's Award: College of Exploration, Peter Tuddenham (VA); and Chair of NMEA History Committee, Susan Snyder (OH/FL)
Honorary Member: Lundie Spence (SC)

Next, Sarah passed the caulking hammer to Thaxter Tewksbury (CT), President 2006-07.

Left: Justine Glynn (ME) discussed the planning being done for the 2007 NMEA Conference to be held in Portland, Maine next summer. She showed a video staring Jeff Sandler... aka "Mr. Fish" (shown below). In his typical punny way, he described what the conference committee is planning.

Left: This card serves as a reminder of the 2007 Conference in Portland. The theme "Downeast 2007...Ideas, Innovations, and Inspirations." A calendar on the back of this card shows that the 2007 conference will be July 23-27.

Left: A special award was presented to Bob Abrams by Lou Siegel, on behalf of the New York State Marine Educators Association. This award identified Bob's long involvement with marine education at a state and national level.