IPMEC Committee Members

Harry Breidahl (Victoria, Australia)
Nautilus Educational

Harry Breidahl is an Australian marine educator and natural history author. A childhood fascination with the sea led him to train as a scientist and educator. Six years working as a high school science and biology teacher was followed by secondment to the Gould League then a career as a freelance natural history author (100 books published).

Over the past 18 years Harry has combining writing with a range of projects for government conservation agencies, part-time teaching and lecturing in education at Monash University. Following a number of working visits to the USA, Harry has recently worked as an educator aboard deep-sea research cruises. Harry’s other marine related activities have been carried out as a founding member of the Marine Education Society of Australasia (MESA).

His association with MESA involves the development of an international job-sharing network for marine educators and coordinating the first international meeting of marine educators ( Hawaii, July 2005).

Dr Hugh Govan (Fiji)
Foundation of the Peoples of the South Pacific International

Hugh was born in Scotland, raised in Spain and has worked in Solomon Islands, Central and South America and various European and Pacific countries. He currently manages the Communities and Coasts programme of a Pacific regional network; the Foundation of the Peoples of the South Pacific International which has members in 9 Pacific Island countries and Timor Leste.

His focus has been building capacity for community based coastal resource management in the Pacific and Caribbean over the last 5 years. Hugh is a marine biologist but his main interests cover community development, traditional knowledge, capacity building strategies, human rights and governance. Hugh has developed curricula and teaches on Masters courses in Bremen and Costa Rica as well as work with primary schools in Scotland. Hugh’s other work commitments include the Locally Managed Marine Area Network and IUCN’s commissions on Protected Areas and Economic and Social Policy.

Barb Klemm (Hawaii, USA)
University of Hawaii College of Education

Dr. E. Barbara Klemm, currently a professor in the Department of Curriculum Studies at the University of Hawaii College of Education, was one of the original members of the National Marine Educators Association. She directed the Fluid Earth-Living Ocean (Hawaii Marine Science Studies) secondary science curriculum project, and has conducted more than 50 marine science teacher workshops in Hawaii and throughout the US mainland.

She is currently working with marine educators throughout the Hawaiian islands on a US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration-funded grant to develop standards-based Hawaii marine science curriculum for grades 3 to 8 and associated workshops. One of her lifelong dreams was fulfilled during summer 2005 when she had the opportunity to travel with teachers and scientists to experience the North Western Hawaiian Islands.

Mellie Lewis (Columbia, Maryland USA)
Howard County Public School System, NMEA Board Member

Mellie Lewis is a gifted and talented resource teacher for the Howard County Public School System in Columbia, Maryland. She loves working with students and bringing the world of the Ocean into their studies. In preparation for JASON VII, Mellie became a SCUBA Diver and her world has not been the same since. She was a Teacher Argonaut for JASON XI.

Mellie has been actively involved with Dive and Discover, College of Exploration, National Geographic, and NOAA’s Office of Ocean Exploration for the past several years. She is the Maryland Representative of the Mid-Atlantic Marine Educator Association, a member of the NMEA International Committee and was recently appointed to the National Marine Educators Board of Directors. Mellie has three passions: family, teaching, and diving.

Barbara Mayer (Hawaii, USA)

Barbara Mayer was born into a U. S. Air Force family, started school in Saudi Arabia and graduated from an American high school in Tokyo, Japan. She earned a Bachelor’s degree in biology from Agnes Scott College in Georgia and a Master’s degree in marine biology from Scripps Institution of Oceanography in California. She became interested in teaching while doing outdoor education work for the Massachusetts Audubon Society.

She has lived in Waimanalo, HI since 1976, except for one year with the Department of Education in American Samoa. Her most recent classroom teaching, from which she recently retired, was with grade 8 science at Kamehameha Schools. Currently, she is a contract writer for the joint NOAA - HI DOE “ocean literacy” K-12 project. During the summer she volunteers in interpretation with the National Park Service or with Teachers Without Borders in South Africa.

Sherwood Maynard (Hawaii, USA)
University of Hawaii

Sherwood is currently the faculty director of three undergraduate programs at the University of Hawaii: Biology, Marine Biology and Marine Option Programs. His formal education has been in biological oceanography at the University of Washington and then at UH. His research has focused on fish populations, but most of his professional career has been devoted to experiential marine education at the secondary and tertiary levels.

His other professional interests include fisheries, aquaculture, scientific diving, maritime archaeology and history, and ocean policy. Internationally he has been involved through UNESCO, NSF, Sea Grant and PACON with programs from South Asia to Southeast Asia and throughout the Pacific.

Richard Murphy, Ph.D. (California, USA)
Director of Science and Education, Ocean Futures Society

Richard C. Murphy has a Ph.D. in Marine Ecology from the University of Southern California. He began working with Jean-Michel Cousteau and his father, Jacques Cousteau, in 1968. Since that time he has been involved in a wide variety of projects and expeditions in many remote areas around the globe. Richard's role in these expeditions has included serving as chief scientist, photographer, writer, educator, or project director. His latest work is a book on coral reefs entitled Coral Reefs - Cities Under the Sea.

He is presently involved in the creation and implementation of the Sustainable Reefs program, designed to help people in island nations better understand and manage their coral reef resources. Since 1973 Richard has been involved with Jean-Michel Cousteau in the creation and implementation of field study programs for students of all ages. The Ambassadors of the Environment program is the latest version of this educational endeavor. The objective in these programs has been to share the wonder and importance of the ocean realm to the public.

Drawing on over 30 years of exploring and studying a wide variety of ecosystems and cultures, Richard states, "I believe a better understanding of how nature works can not only promote an appreciation for the value of our natural heritage but also help guide the next generation in living more sustainably on the planet."

Vicki Osis (Oregon, USA)
Marine Educator Emeritus Oregon State University

Vicki’s experience with the oceans began at the age of 24 when she travelled to Oregon to take classes during the summer session at Hatfield Marine Science Center and saw the ocean for the first time. The experience had a profound influence on her life as it began her career as a marine biologist. Vicki made Oregon her permanent home and worked in a research lab, a teacher, then as a marine educator with the Oregon Sea Grant program to bring marine materials and classes to teachers and students.

She has served as president of NMEA and is a past chair of the NMEA international Committee. She is now retired and is currently working on a grant from the Environmental Protection agency to provide Global Climate Change workshops for teachers. She is also engaged with a statewide organization “Stand for Children” that uses the political process to improve k-12 education and conditions for children living in poverty.

Jody Plecas (Victoria, Australia)
Projects, Water & Catchment Unit Environment Protection Authority, State of Victoria

Born in Southern California Jody immigrated to Australia in the early 1970’s. By the 1990’s her work focussed on matters of the heart - assisting, encouraging and the development of marine education units, special projects, conferences and marine education advocacy.

Stepping into government as Grants Administrator for 3 major grants programs between 2001 and 2005 she currently is Project Officer for a national project to protect local coastal waters from land-based impacts.

She has a long association with the Marine Education Society of Australasia (MESA) and was the Australian team leader for the One Ocean Marine Forum July 2005.

Sarah Schoedinger (Charlotte, NC, USA)
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA)

Sarah Schoedinger is program officer for NOAA’s Office of Education where she manages the Environmental Literacy Grants program, oversees a professional development program for NOAA’s educators, and serves as a liaison to organizations with missions and programs complementary to NOAA’s. Sarah is the past president of the National Marine Educators Association (NMEA).

Since 2004 Sarah has been one of the leaders of campaign to increase ocean literacy, beginning with the workshop to define ocean literacy and identify the essential principles and fundamental concepts for grades K-12 to the promotion of these concepts at the national level. Prior to coming to NOAA, Sarah was the Education Director of the Consortium for Oceanographic Research and Education (CORE). Ms. Schoedinger is a 1992 graduate of St. John’s College and holds a Master of Science degree in marine studies from the University of Delaware.

Kitty Simonds (Hawaii, USA)
Western Pacific Regional Fishery Management Council

Kitty Muller Simonds has served more than 20 years as the executive director of the Western Pacific Regional Fishery Management Council. She joined the Council following a 13-year career as an aide to U.S. Senator Hiram L. Fong in his Washington, D.C., and Honolulu offices.

Under her direction, the Council has set the pace for innovative marine resource management with its pioneer regulations on the use of controversial gear such as drift gill nets and bottom trawl nets, its comprehensive observer programs and satellite-based vessel monitoring systems, and its Coral Reef Fishery Ecosystem Plan, the nation’s first ecosystem-based fishery management plan.

Sylvia Spalding (Hawaii, USA)
Western Pacific Regional Fishery Management Council, NMEA Oceania

Sylvia Spalding has 25 years of experience using journalism and education to promote fisheries and marine conservation. She is currently media and education specialist for the Western Pacific Regional Fishery Management Council and OCEANIA chapter representative for the National Marine Educators Association.

Her prior work includes communications director for the Marine Aquarium Council, publication specialist for the University of Hawaii, media and publication specialist for the Pacific Business Center Program, editor for the Pelagic Fisheries Research Program and Hawaii Fishing News, and administrative assistant for the Fisheries Training Project at the South Pacific Commission (now, Secretariat of the Pacific Community).

She has been a college writing instructor, substitute teacher for the Hawaii Department of Education and instructor of literacy in the workplace. She enjoys surfing, sailing and diving; is a former US Coast Guard licensed skipper and charter boat owner; and has lived and worked on islands throughout the Pacific.