1984

Through the Years | Conferences | Presidents | Awards | Stegner Lecture | The Pike

9th NMEA Conference

August 7-11 , Victoria, British Columbia (University of Victoria)
Theme: The Pacific Northwest: From Canoe to Submersible

Executive Committee

President: Lundie Spence (NC) (1983-84)
President-Elect: Jeff Sandler (ME)
Treasurer: John Driscoll (MA)
Secretary: Vicki Osis (OR)
Executive Director: Prentice K. Stout (RI)
Editor of Current: Fleda Jackson (DE)/ Prentice Stout (RI)
Editor of NMEA news: Karen Aspinwall (MD)

Board of Directors:

Dorothy Bjur (CA), Lindy Millman (DE), Vi Lien (TX), Mildred Graham (GA), James Hannaham (DC), Susan Leach (OH), Sue Gammisch (VA) *Historian's note: This information was obtained from the 1984 Conference Program. The terms of office were not listed in the program.

Chapter Representatives:

• CAMEO (Consortium of Aquatic and Marine Educators of Ohio): Kathy Seall (OH)

• FMSEA (Florida Marine Science Education Association): Steve Bass (FL)

• GAME (Georgia Association of Marine Educators): Tom Howick (GA)

• GOMMEA (Gulf of Maine Marine Education Association): Julia Steed Mawson (ME)

• MAMEA (Mid-Atlantic Marine Education Association): Bill Hall

• MME (Massachusetts Marine Educators): Phil McLaren (MA)

• NAME (Northwest Association of Marine Educators): Andrea Marrett

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

• NYSMEA (New York State Marine Education Association): Leonard Abrams (NY)

• OCEANIA: E. Barbara Klemm (HI)

• SENEME (Southeastern New England Marine Educators): Sandy Ryack (MA)

• SWMEA (Southwest Marine Education Association): Emmanuel Rosales

• TMEA (Texas Marine Education Association): Richard Tinnin (TX)

*Historian's note: The above information was obtained from the 1984 Conference Program.

Committee Chairs:

• Aquaria and Museums: Don Wilke

• Awards: Jim Lanier (VA)

• Minorities & Women: Mildred Graham (GA) & Jim Hannaham (DC)

• Professional Development: E. Barbara Klemm (HI)

• International: Dorothy Bjur (CA)

• Nominations: Bonnie Blackburn

• World of Water Award National Youth Conference: Jim Hannaham (DC)

• 1995 NMEA Conference: Sue Gammisch (VA)

*Historian's note: This information was obtained from the 1984 Conference Program.

Awards:

James Centorino Award Recipient: Cynthia Hancock (FL)
Outstanding Teacher Award Recipients: Susan Leach (Snyder) (OH) and Harriett Donofrio (DE)
President's Award Recipient: Jim Hannaham (DC)

Conference Highlights:

Monday, August 6th was devoted to the all -day meeting of the NMEA Board of Directors.

Tuesday, August 7th, Conference registration began, Rosanne Fortner (OH) led Sea Grant education specialists in their meeting, and a National Film Board of Canada Film Festival was ongoing.

At dinner, Scottish pipes entertained us as we consumed tasty Scottish food. (There is strong Scottish heritage in Victoria). Dinner was followed by Rod MacVicar (BC), President of the Northwest Association of Marine Educators, who officially welcomed everyone to Victoria. Neal Maine (OR) presented a multi-image show titled "We Share the Sea," about marine programs in the U.S. and Canada.

Next was the Music and the Sea School Program... a concert presentation enriched by slides and presented by the Cedar Park Intermediate School Concert Choir from Beaverton, OR. A Scuttlebutt Session followed the concert. (Scuttlebutt is an informal chance to exchange stories and renew friendships.) Libations and snacks were provided, sponsored by local wine merchants.

Wednesday, August 8th began with breakfast, an opening general session with welcoming remarks from NMEA President Lundie Spence, and Dr. Derek Ellis (Department of Biology, University of Victoria.) The Stegner Memorial Lecture followed. This year, the presenter was Dr. Stephen Dow Beckham (Lewis and Clark College, Portland, Oregon). His presentation was titled, "How Vast the Sea, How Great the Opportunity."

Following the Stegner Memorial Lecture, there were two General Sessions: "Submersibles of the Pacific Northwest: The Marine Scientist's Perspective" by W. C. Austin (Marine Biologist at Khoyatan Marine Laboratory) and R.L. Chase (Geologist at the University of British Columbia) and "Whalers of the Northwest Coast, The History of a Maritime People" by James C. Hagarty and Richard I. Inglis (Archaeology Division, British Columbia Provincial Museum, Victoria, B.C.) Next, were 39 concurrent sessions, some before lunch and others after. In the late afternoon, Sea Fair took place. Sea Fair was a marketplace of ideas, activities, gimmicks and demonstrations, done in a "Street Fair" atmosphere. Dinner followed, and then.... an evening with Canadian folksingers Jon Bartlett and Rika Rebsaat...the "Green Fields of Canada."

Thursday, August 9th started with breakfast, followed by field trips. Full day trips included a Gulf Islands Cruise and a trip to the Juan de Fuca Shores. Half day morning trips included Island Intertidal, Intertidal Walk, Sea Kayaking Lecture, Sailing, Tour of the B.C. Provincial Museum, and a Walking Tour of the Waterfront. Afternoon trips were Marine Birds and Mammals, Underwater Research Operations, Sea Kayaking, Sailing, Tour of the B.C. Provincial Museum, and a Walking Tour of the Waterfront.

Everyone spent the evening in the city of Victoria, sampling cuisine, hitting nightspots, and strolling along the waterfront.

Friday, August 10th began with breakfast in the Commons Dining room, followed by 13 concurrent sessions that preceded the 11:00 NMEA General Business Meeting. Lunch followed the meeting.

On Friday afternoon, 29 concurrent sessions took place. At 6:00 we feasted on the octopus appetizer and later on the Northwest Salmon Barbecue Dinner. Following that, we assembled for songs and dances of the Kwakwakaʼwakw. This narrated presentation of songs and dances of the people of the central coast was performed by students of all ages who were learning the dances in both the elementary and secondary school at Alert Bay, B.C., where Kwak'wala Indian Language and Dancing are included in the school curriculum. Audience participation was encouraged during the Sudi Dance, or Friendship Dance, which ends all ceremonies. The following description of this final event of the conference will bring back goose-bump memories to those who attended.

In 2004, Susan Leach (OH) recalled that the performance by the Kwakwakaʼwakw was one of the most memorial in her life. “As the Native Americans prepared for their final dance, they asked NMEA members to join hands in a circle around the dancers. The new chief explained that his father, the former chief, had recently passed on into the spiritual world. He also stated that the Kwakwakaʼwakw believe that when a person dies, he or she is reincarnated into an animal. The former chief is believed to have become a raven. One of the dances the tribe chose to perform involved the new chief's son dancing with the mask of a raven on his head.

As we listened to the song and watched the dancing, we could sense the climax of the performance. At that precise instant, crows flew in from all directions and roosted in the trees above our heads. The NMEA participants, covered in goose bumps, left the performance believing they had experienced a really special event, and one that would be difficult to 'top' at future NMEA Conferences”

Additional Highlights of 1983:

World of Water Awards: 1984 was the first year of the W.O.W. awards. Lundie Spence organized and coordinated W.O.W to recognize students who had developed superior water-oriented science projects. NSF granted $36,000 for the W.O.W. awards. Sponsored by NMEA and additionally funded by Sea Grant College Program, Sea Grant Association, the U.S. Navy, and several corporate and civic donations, the first annual World of Water Awards honored 17 amateur researchers and their teachers/advisors for outstanding contributions to marine research. The students and their teacher/advisors participated and were recognized at the National Youth Conference on Marine and Aquatic Science on the Van Ness Campus of the University of the District of Columbia, September 9-11.

Working in conjunction with Oceans '84, a major conference for ocean researchers and industry held annually by the Marine Technology Society and Institute for Electronics and Electrical Engineers, the Youth Conference allowed students and their advisors to meet and speak with professional scientists and members of the corporate world. The keynote speaker for the students and teachers was the infamous Bob Ballard.

Above: Students and their teachers, plus President Lundy Spence (back row) and Board Member Millie Graham (Center), posed for this picture. (Photographer is unknown. The source of the picture is Current: The Journal of Marine Education, Winter 1985, page 6).

As of July 31st, there were 1,119 members of NMEA.

Karen Aspinwall's column in Current titled, "NMEA news" became the independent newsletter NMEA news in the fall of 1984.

In this first edition of NMEA news, Prentice Stout, NMEA Executive Director, welcomed the membership to the first issue of NMEA news. Its purpose "is to get news to you in a timely fashion." "This newsletter does not take the place of Current. Rather it augments the Journal."

The newsletter explained the editorial policy; listed NMEA Awards that were presented at the conference; discussed the death of Carlo A. Mosca, Education Director at Sea World in San Diego; had chapter updates; contained a calendar of upcoming events; listed career opportunities; and listed articles of interest. The Editorial Policy stated that NMEA news is published bi-monthly, is issued to members as a free service, and is not available on a subscription basis.

In 1984, NMEA published four issues of Current: The Journal of Marine Education. The first was titled, “Aquariums & Museums,” the second was a general issue, the third was titled “Special Issue: Freshwater Society,” and the fourth was a general issue. During the year, Current published two lists of “Opportunities” compiled by Ann Coopersmith (HI), “Summer Opportunities '84'“ and “Academic Year Opportunities.”

Issue notes, from Left:

“Aquariums and Museums” (Winter 1984) was guest-edited by Elizabeth A. Cornell.

The Spring issue contained a 12-page insert, “Aquatic Occupations,” which was supported by a purchase from the Office of the Oceanographer of the Navy. The Navy purchased an additional 10,000 copies of the insert for its own use.

The “Special Issue: Freshwater Society” was guest-edited by the Freshwater Society staff. The Freshwater Society purchased 700 additional copies to mail to its own members.

For each Current issue with guest editors, the guest editors were responsible for soliciting articles and refereeing submissions, but Current retained control of final editorial decisions.