The National Association of Marine Laboratories (NAML) is a non-profit organization [1] incorporated in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts to stimulate research and promote education in the marine sciences. [2]
The National Association of Marine Laboratories consists of three regional organizations, which have their own separate but similar articles of organization and bylaws. [3] [4] [5] The three regional organizations are: the Northeastern Association of Marine & Great Lakes Laboratories (NEAMGLL), the Southern Association of Marine Laboratories (SAML), [6] and the Western Association of Marine Laboratories (WAML). Laboratories located on the Great Lakes are here defined as marine laboratories and are eligible for membership in NEAMGLL and NAML.
NAML membership can include marine laboratories operated by state, university, and other non-profit organizations in the United States, Bermuda, Puerto Rico, the U.S. Virgin Islands and Guam. Marine laboratories are defined as those shore-based laboratory facilities directly accessing the marine environment or Great Lakes or other facilities or academic entities that are partially or primarily focused on marine research, education, or outreach.
The regional organizations have two classes of members, regular members and associate members. Regular members of each regional organization automatically belong to NAML upon payment of annual dues, election by the NAML Board of Directors, and ultimate ratification by the NAML membership at a regular meeting. Associate members of the regional organizations are those laboratories and non-profit organizations that do not wish to participate in the national organization. Associate members belong only to the regional organization and are not eligible for membership in NAML. It is the intent that the NAML would represent the regional organizations on matters that cannot be resolved at the regional level and matters of mutual interest that should be presented by NAML in behalf of all regional organizations on the national level.
Typically there is an annual meeting of the NAML membership in Washington, DC. Annual regional meetings occur either associated with the national meeting or at other times throughout the year.
In 1984, a Federal Agency program that provided funding support for marine laboratory instrumentation was terminated. Dr. John Costlow, Director of the Duke University Marine Laboratory [7] organized a meeting of marine lab directors to formulate testimony and present a unified position as to the importance of this program and the fiscal need to have the program reinstated. At this meeting, the necessity for a national association of marine lab directors was realized. However, that organization failed to materialize from this meeting.
During 5-6 December 1985, an organizational meeting of 14 scientists from 11 labs located along the southeast and Gulf Coasts was held at the Gulf Coast Research Laboratory, Ocean Springs, Missouri with the urging and support of its director, Dr. Harold Howse. This meeting was chaired by Dr. Paul Sandifer. Subsequent to this meeting, in the spring of 1986, the Articles of Organization and Bylaws were developed and accepted for the formation of the Southern Association of Marine Laboratories (SAML) with an inaugural regular membership of 20 laboratories and two associate members. Harold Howse was unanimously elected as SAML's first president.
During a meeting of the Association for the Sciences of Limnology and Oceanography (ASLO) in December 1988, at the Romberg Tiburon Center for Environmental Studies (now Estuary and Ocean Science Center), San Francisco State University, Tiburon, CA, a group of approximately 70 marine lab directors and scientists, chaired by Dr. Dirk Frankenberg met in another attempt to establish a national organization. SAML representatives reported on their successes as a regional organization, but endorsed the concept of a national association based upon a model similar to the Estuarine Research Federation (ERF) and its regional members. Two major objectives were adopted for the organization: 1) it would act as a national body speaking in support of issues related to infrastructure and maintaining marine labs as a national resource and, 2) it would function as a forum and means for information exchange between marine lab directors where issues of common scope could be discussed and information shared. A steering committee was asked to look into the matter further.
In October 1989, the steering committee met with marine lab directors attending the annual Estuarine Research Federation (now Coastal & Estuarine Research Federation) meeting in Baltimore, Maryland. The concept of a national marine lab association was accepted, and the initial officers elected. Dr. Harlyn O. Halvorson, Marine Biological Laboratory (MBL), Woods Hole, Massachusetts, became the first president of the National Association of Marine Laboratories or NAML, and Dr. James S. Clegg, Bodega Marine Laboratory, Bodega Bay, California, President-Elect.
During 2-3 November 1990, the first regular meeting of NAML was held at the Marine Biological Laboratory, Woods Hole, MA with Harlyn Halvorson presiding. Twenty two marine lab directors from all over the coastal US and Great Lakes attended. SAML President, Dr. Kumar Mahadevan, Mote Marine Laboratory, Sarasota, Florida, and Dr. Robert Jones, Marine Science Institute, University of Texas, Port Aransas, TX, SAML Past-President and NAML Board of Directors, Member-at-Large were invited to give testimony on the successes of SAML. The following precepts were accepted:
1. The regional organization of the ERF model was accepted and that NAML would operate as the national umbrella association.
2. SAML would continue as a regional organization and represent the Southeast (Maryland southward) and Gulf laboratories, the Northeastern Association of Marine and Great Lakes Laboratories (NEAMGLL) would be formed and represent the Northeastern coastal states (Delaware northward) and Great Lakes labs, and the West Coast, to include Alaska, Hawaii, and Guam would be united into the Western Association of Marine Laboratories (WAML).
3. The Board of Directors of NAML would be composed of the Board members of each of the Regional Organizations plus a President, President-Elect and immediate Past President. The President-Elect will come from the membership at large and will be rotated among the Regions. NAML would also have a Secretary and Treasurer.
4. NAML would hold an annual open meeting of the Board of Directors, and meet biennially as a full organization at the laboratory of the retiring President. Regional organizations would be free to set their own meeting schedules.
5. The NAML Articles of Organization and Bylaws would be altered to reflect that organization.
The second NAML Meeting was held on 12 October 1991, at the Chesapeake Biological Laboratory, with Dr. Ken Tenore as the host. The organization was now on a biennial schedule and its initial Aims and Goals were presented and adopted. Reports were heard on the formation of NEAMGLL and WAML. The membership for the first year consisted of 51 laboratories from 21 states, and 2 territories which extend geographically from Bermuda to Guam, and from Alaska to Florida.
WAML held its first meeting on 10 November 1991, in conjunction with the ASLO meeting in San Francisco. Dr. Phil Helfrich, Hawaii Institute of Marine Biology, Kaneohe, Hawaii, WAML president presided with Dr. Lavern Weber, Hatfield Marine Science Center, Newport, Oregon, president-elect.
NAML provides its members with robust education and outreach on issues of public policy. It publishes its priorities [8] in public policy with input from members. Monthly briefings from its advocacy company, Federal Science Partners LLC, [9] provide NAML members a forum to understand the latest developments in issues relevant to marine and Great Lakes laboratories. Through its Public Policy Committee, NAML communicates the association's concerns to government entities.
The purpose of the NAML Education Committee is to assess the experiences and education program content and the structures that define excellence in marine science education at NAML member institutions in undergraduate [10] and graduate programs. NAML hosts educational webinars [11] a number of times each year, allowing members to engage with educational topics special to marine and Great Lakes laboratories. More informal "community of practice calls" are held on topics such as internships, educational resources, and field safety.
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