LAUNCHED OCTOBER 25TH AT A World Maritime Day Observance in New York City. Day began with an ecumenical service at St. James Church officiated by the Episcopal Presiding Bishop, the Most Reverend Kathryn Jefferts Schiori, followed by a seminar and launch dinner at the Union Club attended by the IMO Secretary-General Efthimios Mitropoulos, USCG Vice Commandant Vivien Crea, RADM Brian Salerno, RADM James Watson, RADM Mary Landry, Deputy Maritime Administrator Julie Nelson, INTERMEPA and HELMEPA Chairman Nicky Pappadakis and Director General Dimitris Mitropoulos. The organization began with 33 founding members.

Utilizing a strategy of building membership through events, the first year of operation began with a chalk board response drill “What if the Cosco Busan happened in New York Harbor”, followed by National Maritime Day in Washington DC and a World Maritime Day Observance in New York featuring Hapag Lloyd CEO Adolf Adrion and USCG Commandant Thad Allen. This was also the first year of the NAMEPA Awards, honoring the MEPA founder George P. Livanos. That year also saw NAMEPA attendance at the INTERMEPA Annual General Meeting, the distribution of 12,000 American Club environmental crimes posters through the NAMMA (North American Maritime Ministry Association) network, a NAMEPA marine debris video, partnership with Sea Research Foundation’s Immersion Learning program, adoption of formal by-laws, and the launch of the NAMEPA News.

NAMEPA hosted an environmental crimes seminar in New York, helped produce a Harbor of Safe Refuge spill response exercise in Houston, held an Awards Dinner honoring the USCG for their work, collaborated with the American Salvage Association on WORP (Wreck Oil Removal Program), conducted Beach Cleanups in collaboration with Ocean Conservancy, debuted its much touted Marine Debris/Litter Poster showing the decomposition rates of garbage in the ocean and launched its student art drawing contest along with the JASON Project and Immersion Learning. NAMEPA was tapped by the USCG to support the World Maritime Day Parallel Event in New York, which brought over 300 delegates from around the world.

Held the first Environmental Intelligence in Shipping (EIS) conference in San Francisco (air Emissions, wreck removal, impact of noise on marine mammals), became an exhibitor at the Connecticut Maritime Association annual Shipping Conference, received a National Fish and Wildlife Foundation grant for the development of a MARPOL handbook, held an EIS Conference on Operational Risk Management in Houston and Corporate Risk Management in New York, launched our Marine Debris bag based on the poster, began work in Alaska and honored APL with the NAMEPA Marine Environment Protection Award. Launched the SUNY NAMEPA student chapter. World Maritime Day Observance was held in Vancouver in partnership with INTERTANKO, OCIMF, AND ITOPF.

EIS conferences held in Long Beach (aboard the Queen Mary), Seattle, Anchorage and New York. Additionally, there was a Responder Immunity seminar held in New York and the 1st AMVER dinner coupled with National Maritime Day in Washington DC. NAMEPA signed a Memorandum of Understanding with the USCG, supported the Coast Guard with an International Observer Program during a Cross Border spill response drill on Whidbey Island in Washington State , helped produce the Wrecks of the World Conference in Maryland, and held its World Maritime Day Observance in Tampa, Florida with the USCG. The NAMEPA MEP Award went to Royal Caribbean Cruises.

Working with NOAA, developed and produced the Educators Guide to Marine Debris, held seminar in New Orleans on the Deepwater Horizon, held the first NAMEPA seminar in Posidonia, produced EIS conferences in San Francisco, New York, Houston and New York, as well as sponsored an oil spill response effort in Houston. The World Maritime Day Observance was held in Banff, Alberta on the lessons learned from the Titanic on its 100th anniversary of the tragedy

Developed and produced the Educators Guide to the Marine Environment, launched the NAMEPA internship program, established Guiding Principles for the organization, conducted a Board retreat (in addition to Board meetings three times per year) to develop a strategic plan, hosted EIM (Environmental Intelligence in Maritime) conferences in Houston, Long Beach, New York and Washington DC in addition to a roundtable in Houston on Port Waste Reception Facilities. NAMEPA also began its partnership with the American Salvage Association on a Science Fair. NAMEPA Awards expanded to include other sectors with Teekay, ITOPF, and National Geographic taking top honors.

NAMEPA reached out to the offshore sector, holding an EIM in Houston on “The Winds of Change”. Additional programs included our ongoing presence at the CMA Conference, our annual National Maritime Day program on Safety at Sea in Washington DC followed by the AMVER Awards, another successful seminar at the Posidonia Conference and Exhibition Center, a Maritime Readiness seminar in Anchorage, and our annual conference (Evolution or Revolution in Shipping) followed by our NAMEPA Award winners (Cruise Line Industry Association, Wildlife Conservation Society, Titan Salvage (for the Costa Concordia salvage), BSEE and Joe Cox for his lifetime of achievements in maritime. We held the World Maritime Day Observance in Cozumel.

In its effort to include other sectors of the marine transportation chain, NAMEPA held a Port Security conference in Tampa, followed by EIM efforts in Houston, Norfolk Washington DC, Anchorage, and New York. The World Maritime Day Observance was held at MITAGS and gathered maritime educators and industry from around the globe. NAMEPA also partnered with the University of Houston on research they were conducting on the maritime industry. NAMEPA Awards went to FedNav, MARAD, Massachusetts Maritime Academy, Jefferies, Maritime Solutions, ORCA and the World Shipping Council’s Chris Koch.

Houston conference hosted by SeaRiver Maritime at ExxonMobil global headquarters. Posidonia seminar in Athens co-presented with American Chamber of Commerce and the Propeller Club of Piraeus. Joe Hughes assumes Chairmanship of NAMEPA. Panama student chapter formed. Began development of the Learner’s Guide to the Marine Industry. Initiated dialog with the Wildlife Conservation Society on shipping and whales. Spoke at the Central Park Zoo.

Roger Williams University published NAMEPA’s paper on marine debris. Inaugurated a new plastics campaign. Building a CSR program and toolkit for shipping. Developing computer based training (CBT) for shipboard and shoreside staff on marine environment awareness. Focus area on MARPOL in the Caribbean. Formation of BERMEPA. Art contest winners’ work on display at IMO headquarters in London. International Seaways becomes NAMEPA’s 200th member.

Day began with an ecumenical service at St. James Church officiated by the Episcopal Presiding Bishop, the Most Reverend Kathryn Jefferts Schiori, followed by a seminar and launch dinner at the Union Club attended by the IMO Secretary-General Efthimios Mitropoulos, USCG Vice Commandant Vivien Crea, RADM Brian Salerno, RADM James Watson, RADM Mary Landry, Deputy Maritime Administrator Julie Nelson, INTERMEPA and HELMEPA Chairman Nicky Pappadakis and Director General Dimitris Mitropoulos. The organization began with 33 founding members.

Day began with an ecumenical service at St. James Church officiated by the Episcopal Presiding Bishop, the Most Reverend Kathryn Jefferts Schiori, followed by a seminar and launch dinner at the Union Club attended by the IMO Secretary-General Efthimios Mitropoulos, USCG Vice Commandant Vivien Crea, RADM Brian Salerno, RADM James Watson, RADM Mary Landry, Deputy Maritime Administrator Julie Nelson, INTERMEPA and HELMEPA Chairman Nicky Pappadakis and Director General Dimitris Mitropoulos. The organization began with 33 founding members.

Day began with an ecumenical service at St. James Church officiated by the Episcopal Presiding Bishop, the Most Reverend Kathryn Jefferts Schiori, followed by a seminar and launch dinner at the Union Club attended by the IMO Secretary-General Efthimios Mitropoulos, USCG Vice Commandant Vivien Crea, RADM Brian Salerno, RADM James Watson, RADM Mary Landry, Deputy Maritime Administrator Julie Nelson, INTERMEPA and HELMEPA Chairman Nicky Pappadakis and Director General Dimitris Mitropoulos. The organization began with 33 founding members.

Day began with an ecumenical service at St. James Church officiated by the Episcopal Presiding Bishop, the Most Reverend Kathryn Jefferts Schiori, followed by a seminar and launch dinner at the Union Club attended by the IMO Secretary-General Efthimios Mitropoulos, USCG Vice Commandant Vivien Crea, RADM Brian Salerno, RADM James Watson, RADM Mary Landry, Deputy Maritime Administrator Julie Nelson, INTERMEPA and HELMEPA Chairman Nicky Pappadakis and Director General Dimitris Mitropoulos. The organization began with 33 founding members.

Day began with an ecumenical service at St. James Church officiated by the Episcopal Presiding Bishop, the Most Reverend Kathryn Jefferts Schiori, followed by a seminar and launch dinner at the Union Club attended by the IMO Secretary-General Efthimios Mitropoulos, USCG Vice Commandant Vivien Crea, RADM Brian Salerno, RADM James Watson, RADM Mary Landry, Deputy Maritime Administrator Julie Nelson, INTERMEPA and HELMEPA Chairman Nicky Pappadakis and Director General Dimitris Mitropoulos. The organization began with 33 founding members.