1991
16th NMEA Conference
August 6-9
New Brunswick, New Jersey (Rutgers University, Cook College Campus)
Theme: Garden by the Sea

 

President: Vicki Osis (OR) (1990-91)

President-Elect: James V. O’Connor (DC)

Membership Secretary: Michael Rigsby (CA)

Treasurer: Alison Rials (FL)

Secretary: Sharon Walker (MS)

Editor of Current: Nora L. Deans (CA)

Editor of NMEA news: Nora L. Deans (CA)

Board of Directors: (1988-91): Dianne Baxter (CA), Pam Sears (OH), Bruce Stewart (TX), Eugene Williamson (OR), (1989-92): Karen Blyler (FL), Mary K. Masterson (NJ), J. Philip McLaren (MA), (1990-93): John Dindo (AL), Kathleen Heidenreich (WA), Craig Strang (CA), Rick Tinnin (TX), (1991-94): Sue Gammisch (VA), Mike Spranger (WA)

Chapter Representatives:

  • CAMEO (Consortium of Aquatic and Marine Educators of Ohio): Cindy Stong (OH)/ Bill Simpkins (OH)
  • FMSEA (Florida Marine Science Education Association): Mark DeCrosta (FL)
  • GAME (Georgia Association of Marine Educators): Mary Watkins (GA)/ Julian Hood (GA)
  • GOMMEA (Gulf of Maine Marine Education Association): Eleanor Dickens (ME)/ Jeanne Meggison (ME)
  • MME (Massachusetts Marine Educators): George Duane (MA)
  • MAMEA (Mid-Atlantic Marine Education Association): Wallace White (MD)/ Vicki Clark (VA)
  • NJMEA (New Jersey Marine Education Association): Mary K. Masterson (NJ)
  • NYSMEA (New York State Marine Education Association): Joel Teret (NY)
  • NAME (Northwest Association of Marine Educators): Bill Hastie (OR)/ Laurie Usher (WA)
  • OCEANIA: Dan Van Ravensway (HI)/ Ann Coopersmith (HI)
  • SCMEA (South Carolina Marine Educators Association): Phil Astwood (SC)
  • SAME (Southeastern Association of Marine Educators): Leslie C. Bruce (MS)/ Sharon Alonzo & John Trowbridge (LA)
  • SENEME (Southeastern New England Marine Education Association): Sandra Ryack-Bell (RI)/ Alice Resieaweaver (CT)
  • SWMEA (Southwest Marine Education Association: Linda Hagelin (CA)
  • TMEA (Texas Marine Education Association): Jack Clason (TX)

Committees:

  • Awards Committee Chair: Kathleen A. Heidenreich (WA)
  • Chapters Committee Chair: Sharon Walker (MS)
  • Computers Committee Chair: No Chair
  • Conservation Committee Chair: John Dindo (AL) & Craig Strang (CA)
  • Curriculum & Research Committee Chair: John Dindo (AL)
  • Finance Committee Chair: Valerie Chase (MD)
  • International Committee Chair: Joy Wolf (CA)
  • Membership Committee Chairs: Candace Martinez
  • Nominating Committee Chair: Vicki Osis (OR)
  • Publications Committee Chair: Nora Deans (CA)
  • Public Relations Committee Chair: Sue Gammisch (VA)

Awards:

James Centorino Award: Cynthia Stong (OH)

Outstanding Teacher Award: Ron Nilsen (WA)

Marine Education Award: Gary Hafner (CA)

President’s Award: Sharon Walker (GA) and Quinton White (FL)

 

Conference Highlights:

This very successful conference, chaired by Mary Masterson, provided marine educators with hands-on workshops, demonstrations, photo and video competitions, teleconferencing, invited and contributed symposium papers and a variety of field trips.

The Board met on the day preceding the conference. At the Board Meeting, members reviewed and updated the long range goals of NMEA. Stabilizing the finances was the major goal of 1990-91. The Conservation Committee completed a Conservation Mission Statement that focused on the goal of making NMEA more conservation oriented.

Conference Program (Photographs by Susan Leach Snyder)

On the morning and afternoon of the first day of the conference, registration, committee meetings, and the Presidents reception took place. The evening events included a very enjoyable skit by Mr. and Mrs. Fish, followed by a banquet, and a performance by the Sloop Singers of the Hudson River’s Clearwater.

The keynote speaker on day two was J. Frederick Grassle, Marine Ecologist /Oceanographer and Director of the Institute of Marine and Coastal Sciences at Rutgers. His presentation was titled,“The Deep Sea and New Jersey.” Dr. Grassle's presentation was followed by concurrent sessions.

Left: Conference Booklet of Abstracts. At registration on the first day, the conference committee had provided everyone with a book of detailed abstracts. This was a very useful reference to have when deciding which concurrent sessions to attend.

After lunch, there was a symposium titled, “Research and Technology at Rutgers,” chaired by Lou Iozzi. Then came more concurrent sessions. Following dinner... the long-awaited auction!

At the auction, the boisterous (FMSEA) Florida Marine Science Educators Association spearheaded a drive to take NMEA's mascot PIKE below the Mason-Dixon line. The "Southern consortium" saved the day, through the combined financial support of FMSEA, GAME, SAME, TMEA, SCMEA, SWMEA, MAMEA, and NAME.

Day three began with more concurrent sessions. After lunch, were the general meeting, the Stegner Memorial Lecture by Richard Ellis (Artist and Naturalist), and informal time for curriculum perusal, exhibit visiting, and video viewing of the 1991 Marine and Environmental Video Contest. Twenty-five outstanding entries had been sent in by both amateur and professional videographers. The award winners were as follows: Amateur Award: Water Lines produced by Pat Flanagan (CA) of the Tijuana Estuary Visitors Center; Professional Award: Trashing the Oceans entered by Betsy Schrader (DC) of the Center for Marine Conservation; Curriculum Award: The Living Tidal Marsh contributed by Jo Ann Dow (NJ) of the Educational Service Department, Public Service Electric and Gas; and Special Judges Award: Painting the Town Blue by Dianne Zeigler (NJ).

At 4:30 we boarded busses for a dinner cruise.

On the last day, we left campus for field trips. It was a very dreary, rainy day....but that didn’t dampen the spirits of the participants. Some visited the Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island, while others went to Sandy Hook, the New York Aquarium, or Forsythe National Wildlife Refuge. Some even canoed through the Pine Barrens or took a cruise aboard the sloop Clearwater. If you’d like to know about how much fun a canoe ride in the rain at Pine Barrens can be, just ask Bill Hastie (OR), Karen Blyler (FL), and Rick Tinnin (TX). (Be sure to ask Bill about the new Olympic event called “The Hastie Plunge.”) Sea Swap was held that evening in the dormitory.

After all the bills were paid, the actual income from the conference was $16,775.83.

 

Additional Highlights of 1991:

The NMEA membership committee continued the annual membership contest. The chapter with the highest percentage increase in NMEA memberships was awarded the NMEA engraved ship’s wheel. Pike points were also awarded for each membership gained. Pike points were very important in the 1991 annual auction as chapters pooled their points to bid against one another for the coveted PIKE.

At the National Science Teachers Association annual conference in Houston, NMEA hosted marine education sessions and a mid-morning reception on Thursday, March 27. NMEA members also shared materials at the National Earth Science Teachers’ Association Share-a-thon.

The Annual Report for 1991, written by Vicki Osis, appeared in Current-Volume 11, Number 3, 1992. The report stated that the Board reviewed and updated the long range plans of NMEA at the annual meeting. The following is a summary of the discussion:

1) The conservation committee had completed a conservation mission statement that focused on the goal of making NMEA more conservation oriented.
2) The membership committee had been working toward another long range goal of increasing membership among chapter members.
3) All NMEA members continued to work toward making the public more aware of our oceans and their values/ resources.
4) Stabilizing the finances of the NMEA was the major goal of 1990-91. Osis stated that “Our main source of income comes from memberships and conferences. We are providing $35.00 worth of membership services for $25.00.” To help with costs, outside funding has been used to help support Current.

In 1991, NMEA published three issues of Current: The Journal of Marine Education. The first was the “Annual Report for 1989-90”, the second was titled “Global Change,” and the third was a general issue. The NOAA Offices of Global Programs and Sea Grant covered the cost of the publication of the “Global Change” issue.

Photographs by Susan Leach Snyder

 

Click on Current to obtain a complete listing of articles in the 1976-2008 journals.

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