Dear NYSMEAns,

The annual conference was a huge success. The four field trips were a big hit and the NY Aquarium tour was very exciting!  

Dr. Stephen Pekar had a presentation on climate change and Kate Orff on living breakwaters. Both lectures were engaging and informative. I personally enjoyed Charles Denison's film on Coney Island Creek which focused on the future of the Creek post Superstorm Sandy. 

I am honored to serve as President of NYSMEA. As my vision is to see an increase in youth membership, I plan  to  reach out to High Schools and invite science students to become members. Once students are exposed to our organization and its enriching educational programs, I hope they will become lifelong NYSMEA members and contributors to marine environmental awareness and education.

I hope to see everyone at the Holiday Dinner Party on Saturday, December 6th at 4:00 PM, held at the Jones Beach Coast Guard Station. Our speaker will be Heather Liwanag, Associate Professor of Biology, PhD, from Adelphi University. She will discuss thermoregulation in fur seals in her presentation "The Fat and the Furriest: Keeping Warm in the Cold."

Please join us in extending a warm welcome to our new NYSMEA officers: 

 

• President - Lane Rosen, John Dewey High School, NYCDOE
• Elementary Vice President - Milton Pesantez, Columbia University
• Secretary - David Stolarz
   

Also, welcome back to our returning NYSMEA officers: 

 

• Vice President - Informal Education, Merryl Kafka, retired, NY Aquarium 
• College Vice President - Dale Stanley, Nassau Community College
• Secondary Vice President - Blanca Ching, Fort Hamilton High School
• Treasurer - Sarah Richards, Saint Ann's School
   

 

Learn more about our officers by visiting the Officers Page on the NYSMEA website. Thank you for your service to NYSMEA!  

 

Thank you to all who made the NYSMEA annual conference a great success! The theme of this year's conference was "Coastal Treasures and Troubles: Restoring, Managing, and Monitoring Our Resources." 

 

Thank you to all who participated in the conference committee, led by our Treasurer, Sarah Richards. Also, thank you for our hosts, the Rachel Carson High School for Coastal Studies and the New York Aquarium. 

 

Thank you to all who attended and presented in the conference, especially those who led workshops and field trips. A special thank you to your keynote presenters, Stephen Pekar and Kate Orff. 

 

Also, thank you to those who gave monetary donations, auction and food items, and educational resources. In particular, we would like to thank the Hudson River Foundation for their monetary donation to help sponsor the conference registrations of high school and college students who were able to register at a discounted rate.  

 

NYSMEA members get a behind-the-scenes tour of the  New York Aquarium during the 2014 Conference.

 

 

Founder's Award

Presented to one of the original founders of the New York State Marine Education Association who has made a life-long commitment to advancing informal marine science education.

 

Rick Raymond

Matthew Fontaine Maury Award

Presented to a member or non-member who has made a major contribution to any field related to marine endeavors, either in the sciences, education, and research, and social or artistic ventures.

 

Murray Fisher

 

Murray Fisher is the co-founder of the New York Harbor School and the President of the New York Harbor Foundation, which together manage the Billion Oyster Project, a city-wide effort to engage the metropolitan community in restoring New York Harbor.

 

Captains Frank DeSantis and Tom Paladino

 

Captain Frank DeSantis, American Princess Cruises, has navigated not only our local waterways with fishing boats, sight-seeing cruises, ferry service, and educational adventures, but also piloted boats for over 20 years up and down the east coast from Maine to Florida. We honor his commitment to advancing public education in marine science, and marine mammal research and data collection with Gotham Whale, helping to document the whales visiting New York City.
 

Herman Melville Literary Award

Presented to a member or non-member who has made a major contribution to the world of maritime literature and/or art.

 

Stephen Yaeger 

 

Stephen Yaeger, a retired teacher, has taught general science, biology, marine biology, chemistry, earth science, and limnology. He used his talent as an artist to enhance his lessons. He conducted workshops for teachers as a member of the NYS Biology Teachers Association and the Science Council of New York. He always found teaching rewarding and never failed to combine humor and classroom discipline as tools. Now retired, Stephen devotes his time to art, photography, and history.