EVERY ACTION COUNTS
Our Mission
Preserving the marine environment by promoting sustainable maritime industry best practices and educating the public to Save Our Seas for over 15 years.
The North American Marine Environment Protection Association (NAMEPA) is a marine industry-led organization of environmental stewards preserving the marine environment by promoting sustainable marine industry best practices and educating seafarers, students and the public about the need and strategies for protecting global ocean, lake and river resources.
Every Action Counts
With 71% of our planet comprised of water, the ever-increasing issue of marine pollution is of great concern to all life – and can only be successfully addressed by action at every level – from the individual up through global coordination.
Welcome New NAMEPA Members!
Corporations:
Individuals:
Bart Kelleher
Anthony Odak
NAMEPA Conferences
NAMEPA Appearences
CMA Shipping Expo and Conference
NAMEPA had an engaging time at the CMA Shipping Expo and Conference last March, from showcasing our mission at our booth to meeting our friends within the maritime industry, including many of our proud NAMEPA members!
National Marine Educator’s Association (NMEA) Conference
NAMEPA joined hundreds of formal and informal educators, research scientists, and state and federal agency representatives to exchange information and build connections that may inspire new ideas for working towards marine resiliency.
Green4Sea Virtual Forum & Awards
NAMEPA joined ESG advocates Captain Anuj Chopra of ESGPlus, Capital Executive Ship Management’s Stavros Meidanis, Dr. Kostas Gkanis of INTERCARGO and SSI’s Andrew Stephens for GREEN4SEA’s discussion of ESG for Shipping.
West Coast Education Initiatives
Students reached: 800+
Crew Welfare Week Industry Stakeholder Panel
As part of Safety4Seas’ Crew Welfare Week, NAMEPA Co-Founder and Executive Director Carleen Lyden Walker was invited to moderate a panel of industry advocates for mariners.
Posidonia Conference
Along with the American Hellenic Chamber of Commerce and the U.S. Embassy, NAMEPA presented the “Trading in U.S. Waters” seminar during Posidonia in Greece. In addition to highlighting the regulatory and legal expectations of shipping while visiting U.S. ports, the program featured the impacts of digitalization on shipping with a special emphasis on tools for decarbonization.
The panel ended with a shipowners panel which addressed the realities of achieving zero emissions from ships by 2050, as well as their challenges and opportunities, in trading in today’s geopolitical and economic climate.
SHIPPINGInsight 2022 - The Decade of Demand
NAMEPA was a kiosk exhibitor at SHIPPINGInsight 2022 - The Decade of Demand! Staff met up with partners and attendees to talk about member benefits and programs, as well as promote our education pieces.
MPSEC – Maritime Workforce Pathways Webinar
NAMEPA joined MPSEC (Maritime Primary and Secondary Education Coalition) for a 1-hour webinar to discuss the workforce pathways to become part of the maritime industry. Panelists included several women currently working in the field who elaborated on the pathways they took, their current positions, obstacles they encountered and advice to future maritime personnel.
CSR/ESG
NAMEPA’s CSR/ESG Maritime Sustainability Program
NAMEPA’s CSR/ESG Maritime Sustainability Program remains the only assessment program designed specifically for the maritime industry featuring all three elements of sustainability- the E, the S, and the G. Since its launch in 2020, many companies have matriculated through the program and earned their Maritime Sustainability Passport (MSP).
Companies & Individuals Who Have Completed NAMEPA's CSR/ESG Program:
Launched ESG 101 Workshop
What is it?
The use of ESG as a tool for measuring companies and their performance is widely recognized as important, but there is still a lack of understanding of its principles and benefits. To overcome this, NAMEPA launched its ESG 101 Workshop for promoting Corporate Maritime Sustainability in partnership with ESG Plus LLC.
The program is open to NAMEPA members, nonmembers and all maritime stakeholders who wish to understand more about Environmental, Social and Governance in the Maritime Industry.
Program Benefits:
- Increased Efficiency
- Stakeholder Visibility
- Positive Global Impact & Social License
MARPOL
Operation: Compliance - Tools For Effective Environmental Compliance
NAMEPA's MARPOL guide can assist seafarers and shoreside personnel to better understand MARPOL regulations, why they are needed to preserve the marine environment, and how to better comply.
NAMEPA has developed the Operation Compliance program to help seafarers better understand MARPOL regulations and the need for MARPOL compliance. This program is being delivered to seafarers and shoreside personnel in Massachusetts. This program is made possible through a grant from the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation (NFWF).
Seafarers Reached: 200+
NAMEPA Programming
NAMEPA has facilitated outreach programs and events across the nation, virtually and in person. With the support of our education team, we were able to reach record numbers to engage with organizations and students of all ages to Save Our Seas.
YMCA Volunteer Awardee of the Year
NAMEPA had the honor of being nominated for the 2021 Adult Volunteer of Year by the Bridgeport YMCA. We are excited to expand our engagement with the YMCA this year and in the future!
Outreach and Education
1,928
Total number of students participating in NAMEPA programs in 2022
22,483
Individuals reached through material downloads
1,684
Views on Educational Videos
2022 Beach Cleanups
250+
Individuals participated with NAMEPA for a beach cleanup this year
3,500+ lbs
Trash removed from the coastline
Top 3 Items:
- Cigarette Butts
- Plastic Wrappers
- Pieces of Paper
Planet Ocean Discovery Series (PODS): Coastal Habitats
In the Coastal Habitat PODS, we highlight three unique coastal habitat ecosystems: Wetlands, Mangroves and Coral Reefs. Each of these contain information, activities, lesson plans, NGSS alignment, and multimedia on the following topics: Habitat and Adaptations, Environmental Importance, The Changing Climate and Shipping/Navigation. Emphasizing these four topics provides a fundamental background on each coastal habitat in the context of real-world application.
The PODS: Coastal Habitats engaged students across the country in both physical and virtual lessons!
Planet Ocean Discovery Series (PODS): Open Oceans
NAMEPA Receives Grant
NAMEPA was named a recipient of Port of Los Angeles’ Community Grant Program 2022-2023 to continue the Planet Ocean Discovery Series with the newest POD, Open Oceans! This funding will create a virtual and interactive program to educate on ocean literacy and provide insight on career pathways in the maritime industry.
Adopt-A-Ship
The Adopt-A-Ship program is a free, engaging, sustainable, and well-developed educational tool that informs students about the importance of shipping and its global impact on our daily lives by connecting classrooms with mariners.
While learning about the important role seafarers play as essential workers, students are also introduced to geography, culture, environmental conservation, marine operations, communication skills, and career opportunities.
8 Classrooms and ships
211+ Students Reached
Education Initiatives
Reprinting of Activity Books
Thank you to NAMEPA Member, Cargill, for their support in reprinting of NAMEPA’s Shipping Makes the World Go Round’ activity book.
Annual Art Contest
To celebrate World Maritime Day 2022, NAMEPA partnered up with the U.S. Coast Guard (USCG) and Inter-American Committee on Ports of the Organization of American States (CIP-OAS) to host our annual art contest. Each year, we invite students in grades K-12 throughout the Americas to create an original poster that creatively reflects the International Maritime Organization’s (IMO) World Maritime Day theme.
This year, the theme was 'New technologies for greener shipping,’ so we asked students to submit an original poster that creatively depicts the importance of developing new technologies to support a green transition of the maritime sector into a sustainable future for shipping and our global society.
2022 Interns
Spring
The environment has always been so important and interesting to me. I spend a lot of precious time on the water and I never want that to change. If I can help by getting other kids involved, researching or raising awareness of course I want to do it. - Teagan, Staples High School
For as long as I can remember, I've been fascinated with marine life and bodies of water. This fascination fuels my interest in protecting marine ecosystems and promoting sustainability; I would love to promote change by educating students about the marine environment. - Matthew, Staples High School
I have passion for Marine Life. As a fisherman, I often am around our coastal waters and have learned a lot about marine life through fishing and taking a Marine Biology class here at staples. - Ryan, Staples High School
Summer
Throughout the duration of my internship with NAMEPA I have become accustomed to expecting the unexpected. From surprising myself with just how much I was not aware of marine species and the maritime industry to being pleasantly surprised with the way children can absorb information, and their tendency to look for solutions to problems. From the moment we began our outreach, I could see how eager the children were to learn from NAMEPA’s expertise. - Maddie
Working with NAMEPA this summer was truly an amazing experience. Going to the Stamford YMCA and doing PODS to help teach kids about the Marine Environment and what they can do to protect it was exciting and something I was looked forward to every week! I helped out translating documents for the organization, which I thought was cool because it showed that they wanted to be inclusive with other languages. I was very proud to be part of this amazing team! - Val
I had the pleasure to work for NAMEPA this summer, and let me say this: I loved it! Every day that I came into the office I was greeted by the smiling faces of people who wanted nothing more but to be helpful. Anytime that I had a question, they were on top of their game with an answer. In fact, sometimes, they would give me answers to questions that I did not know to ask. In the office, I researched maritime waste management regulations. This research was used by this organization to display to shippers the importance of protecting the environment. Outside of the office, there were a plethora of outreach opportunities for me and the other interns at NAMEPA. I was excited to get the chance to work with underserved children in person and on the computer and teach them about the environment. - Ryan
My favorite part of this entire internship was attending the education outreach at Camp Laurel and the Planet Ocean Discovery Series. It was a joy to see all the children so engaged. I truly believe that everything NAMEPA does makes a big difference in both education and the Maritime Industry. - Marchela
Throughout several weeks, I taught children from grades K-7 about marine life and ecosystems following specific lesson plans. We tried to make the learning as fun as possible to help the kids gain interest and stay engaged, taking their age group into consideration. I am grateful to have had the opportunity to dive deeper into the maritime industry and being able to use my creative/teaching skills to help support NAMEPA to Save Our Seas. - Nadia
Social Media
Followers
967
LinkedIn Followers
1.5 K
Facebook Followers
740
Instagram Followers
947
Twitter Followers
2022 Social Media Campaigns
Maritime Industry Monday
Every Monday, we post about news in the maritime industry, highlighting NAMEPA members and their achievements!
Species Sunday
Every other Sunday, we would highlight a specific species (ex: Leatherback Sea Turtle, Giant Kelp) by posting a picture of it with its name. In the caption, we would give a detailed description of the species with a list of facts to help educate people on marine life.
NAMEPA Spotlight
To start off the celebration of our 15th year anniversary, we spotlighted board members and staff to appreciate their involvement in the success of NAMEPA!
Earth Day
Although we like to think of every day as Earth Day, we wanted to make sure to participate on April 22 by posting an informative piece on social media about what you as an individual can do to invest in our planet.
World Ocean Day
Similarly to Earth Day, we celebrated World Ocean Day by posting about ways that you can make a difference today to help Save Our Seas.
National Maritime Day
Following MARAD's theme for National Maritime Day, NAMEPA celebrated the day by recognizing the importance of culture, climate and commitment, with emphasis on building the best future for the U.S. maritime industry
#EveryActionCounts
NAMEPA's main theme of 2022 is that Every Action Counts. Our mission to Save Our Seas cannot be done by one person, so we encourage every individual to take even the smallest of actions, because it all makes a difference!
World Maritime Day
NAMEPA Products
This year, we debuted the NAMEPA products, which include T-shirts, Hoodies, Vests, and Tote Bags! These products are dedicated to our efforts to Save Our Seas! These are perfect to wear/bring to beach cleanups and to show your support of NAMEPA!
Every Donation Counts
NAMEPA is a tax-exempt 501(c)(3) organization.
Your tax-deductible donation will help us protect the marine environment, support the marine industry, educate communities, and Save Our Seas.
Text SaveOurSeas to
(302) - 300 - 4483 to make a donation!