NMEA Firsts

Listed below are some of the "firsts" that have occurred in the National Marine Educators Association.

If you have more "firsts" to add to the list, please e-mail: ssnyder2@columbus.rr.com

 

 

1966:

  • 1st national conference of marine educators: Woods Hole, Massachusetts. May 20 and 21, educators from Florida, New York, Colorado, and Ohio attended the New England Conference on Ocean Science Engineering.

 

 

1971:

  • 1st call for the establishment of The Marine Science Education Association: “The Beaufort Resolution.” Written by Dr. James Schweitzer (LA), this resolution was presented at the National Marine Science In Education Conference at Beaufort, North Carolina. Note: the conference had a name, but there was no organization by that name at the time.

     



    1974:

  • 1st National Marine Education Conference, aimed at all segments of the education community with an interest in the “World of Water.” "Science" had been dropped from the title of the conference. Thayer Shafer argued successfully for a multidisciplinary approach. Note: the conference had a name, but there was no organization by that name at the time.

  • 1st resolutions calling for the establishment of a national marine education association: “Kingston Resolutions.”

 

 

1976:

  • 1st time NMEA was officially formed as a nonprofit corporation. (August)
  • 1st issue of NMEA’s Journal: The Journal of Marine Education. (Summer)
  • 1st National Marine Education Conference: Asilomar Conference Center in Pacific Grove, California. (October 26-29)
  • 1st President: Arie R. Korporaal (CA).
  • 1st Executive Secretary: Thayer Shafer (RI).
  • 1st Bylaws discussed and adopted. (October 28)
  • 1st Association Committees formed.
  • 1st Published Proceedings of a conference: It was edited by Arie R. Korporaal.

 


1977:

  • 1st conference with a theme: "Marine Awareness: Teaching for the Future."
  • 1st Sea Grant workshop held at a NMEA Conference.
  • 1st time NMEA had its old, caulking-hammer gavel for the President to use.
  • 1st time tax exemption was granted to NMEA.
  • 1st publication of a newsletter “Current: National Marine Association.”
  • 1st NMEA Honorary Membership: awarded to Thayer Shafer.

 



1979:

  • 1st time the journal was titled Current: National Marine Education Association.
  • 1st NMEA Chapter: MAMEA (Mid-Atlantic Marine Education Association).

 

 


1980:

  • 1st Stegner Memorial Lecturer: Captain Irving Johnson.

 

 


1982:

  • 1st Sea Swap. It was organized by Barbara Klemm (HI).
  • 1st time each NMEA chapter elected a representative to serve as a Director on the NMEA Board.

 

 

 

1983:

  • 1st female President: Lundie Spence (NC).

 

 

 

1984:

  • 1st year for World of Water Awards for students.
  • 1st conference held out of the United States. (Victoria, British Columbia)
  • 1st James Centorino Award: Cynthia Hancock (FL).
  • 1st Outstanding Teacher Award: Susan Leach (OH) and Harriett Donofrio (DE).
  • 1st President’s Award: Jim Hannaham (DC).
  • 1st time NMEA news became an independent newsletter and not a column in Current.


    1985:

  • 1st time a state governor addressed NMEA . (Governor Charles S. Robb (VA))
  • 1st NMEA auction. It netted $2000.
  • 1st time the organization was called The National Marine Educators Association and not the National Marine Education Association. (January 19)
  • 1st Presidents Reception at a conference.
  • 1st professional exhibit hall at a conference.
  • 1st time program monitors were used at a conference.
  • 1st time a symposium took place at a conference. (Chesapeake Bay Symposium)
  • 1st time a plenary session took place at a conference. (Geologic History of Chesapeake Bay)
  • 1st time conference sponsors were used to help keep costs low.
  • 1st time the host chapter of the national convention was given a portion of the conference profit. (MAMEA received 25%.)
  • 1st time NMEA had a Professional Development Subcommittee on Summer and Academic Year Opportunities. Until that time (beginning in 1979) Ann Coopersmith (HI) had been single-handedly collecting information via computer surveys sent throughout the nation.
  • 1st time NMEA had a Professional Development Subcommittee on Teleconferencing and Electronic Bulletin Boards.
  • 1st time NMEA had a Professional Development Subcommittee on Computer Software Assessment.
  • 1st time NMEA had a Professional Development Subcommittee on Standards for NMEA-Sponsored Tours and Workshops.
  • 1st International Committee

 

 

 

1986:

  • 1st time the PIKE was introduced as an auction item at a conference.
  • 1st reception at a conference for past presidents of NMEA.
  • 1st contest among chapters to recruit more members to NMEA.
  • 1st Membership Committee

 

 

1987:

  • 1st mid-year meeting of the Board held at a NSTA National Conference. (Washington, D.C.)

 


1988:

  • 1st Long-Range Plan was drafted. Steve Christiano facilitated long range discussions at the Conference Board of Directors meeting .
  • 1st time a special poster was created for a conference. Pieter Folkeins designed “Creatures of the Deep.”
  • 1st time NMEA became an official affiliate of the National Science Teachers Association.
  • 1st time NMEA presented sessions, papers, posters, a Share-a-Thon, and reception at NSTA. (St. Louis, Missouri, April 7-10)
  • 1st time the officers' names were listed in a Current : The Journal of Marine Education publication.

 

 

1989:

  • 1st Marine Education Award: Eugene Kaplan.
  • 1st Conservation Committee.
  • 1st Research Committee.

 

 


1990:

  • 1st time a conference was held at two locations. (Hilo and Kona, Hawaii)
  • 1st “Conference Cookbook” was written.
  • 1st time NMEA became an affiliate of the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS)

     

 

1992:

  • 1st time NMEA conducted a joint project with another international marine educators’ organization. The Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority contributed an article to the Marine Sanctuaries issue of Current (Volume 11 #2).

 

 

1994:

  • 1st time a NMEA Conference was held in conjunction with another national organization. The conference, held in Knoxville, Tennessee, also included The American Institute of Biological Sciences, the American Bryological and Lichenological Society, the American Fern Society, the American Society of Plant Taxonomists, the Association of Ecosystem Research Centers, the Botanical Society of America, the Ecological Society of America, and the International Society for Ecological Modeling.


1996:

  • 1st NMEA National Office established and a part-time Administrative Assistant hired. (Tina Shoemaker)

 

 

1997:

  • 1st time a NMEA President gave birth while in office. (During her 1996-97 term as president, Maureen Wilmot gave birth to a baby boy.)


     

    1998:

  • 1st time a NMEA Conference was held at a resort. (Palmas del Mar Resort, Puerto Rico)


       

    2000:

  • 1st year of the “Buddy Program.” It was organized by Maryellen Timmons (GA).

 

 

 

2003:

  • 1st time the NMEA International Committee established a Sea Exchange Project with other nations.
  • 1st NMEA History Web Site.
  • 1st time NMEA had a VISA Credit Card machine that could be used for membership and other payments.
  • 1st time the NMEA National Office handled conference registration.
  • 1st time NMEA shared specific recommendations for advancing ocean science education. Letters were written to both the U.S. Commission on Ocean Policy and the Pew Oceans Commission.
  • 1st time a NMEA Membership Profile was made to aid another organization. The U.S. Commission on Ocean Policy used the results in its efforts to advance science literacy.
  • 1st time an ad-hoc Science Standards Committee was established to explore ways to integrate ocean science concepts into state and national standards.
  • 1st Chapter Twister Challenge at a conference.

 

 

2004:

  • 1st time the NMEA Executive Committee Established a National Office Endowment Fund.
  • 1st time the procedure for submitting a conference hosting proposal was approved by the board and put on the BRIDGE web site.
  • 1st time the NMEA Outreach Committee developed and produced NMEA promotional posters and rulers.
  • 1st International Breakfast at a conference. (20 people attended)
  • 1st time the President’s Circle was recognized as a formal group within NMEA.

 

2005:

  • 1st time streaming video of all conference symposium speakers and some concurrent session speakers was made available by a conference committee following a conference. It can be seen at http://stream.hawaiirdp.org/library/nmea.asp
  • The Standing Committee on Ocean Literacy was established. (The Ad-Hoc Committee on National Science Education Standards became a standing committee with Craig Strang as chair. The committee’s focus will encompass improving ocean literacy in both free-choice learning environments and the formal education system (K-16).)
  • 1st time the NMEA National Office was destroyed by a natural disaster. Hurricane Katrina’s wind shear and storm surge swept away the National Office at the J.L. Scott Marine Education Center in Ocean Springs, Mississippi. The University of Southern Mississippi Gulf Coast Research Lab, also in Ocean Springs, Mississippi provided a temporary space for NMEA.
  • 1st electronic NMEA news: As a result of Hurricane Katrina washing away the NMEA National Office and the printing business that printed NMEA news, Vol. 21, Issue 3, Fall 2005 was posted on the BRIDGE website as an electronic newsletter.

     

    2006:

  • 1st Capital Reserve Account.The NMEA Executive Committee officially approved the establishment of a distinct Capital Reserve Account separate from the Endowment Accounts, and the sum of $50,000 was approved to open the account.

 

  • 1st style guide for a NMEA Logo (Brand) was developed. The Branding and Web Committee presented a NMEA style manual for a NMEA Logo (Brand) to the Board at the Mid-Year Meeting. The Board voted to accept the style guide.)

 

  • 1st conference in which session presenters were 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 their sessions. 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.

 

 

2007:

  • 1st time Gamming Columns from NMEA News were digitized and made available to membership online at the NMEA History Website. (Beginning with 2006, Gamming Columns are new available to read in their entirety online.)

 

  • 1st time NMEA News is printed in color. (Volume 23, Issue 4, Winter 2007)

 

2008:

  • 1st time NMEA News is posted as a pdf file to the web. (Volume 24, Issue1, Spring 2008)

 

 

 

 

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