Aloha kakou

Schedule Changes . . .

1. The Ocean Science Discovery Center Open House & Harborside Boogie will be held on Thursday, 14 July beginning at 7 pm.

2. The Evening at the Maui Ocean Center (sponsored by the Pacific Region National Marine Sanctuaries and Hawai'i Coastal Zone Management) will be held on Friday, 15 July beginning at 6:30 pm.

3. Those lucky first 400 registrants, who will be taking the Pacific Whale Foundation's Sunset Cruise on Friday, 15 July, can walk from the boat over to the Maui Ocean Center after the cruise. Because of repairs at Ma'alaea Harbor, all the boats will depart from the same dock but at different times. There will be a sign-up sheet for departure times at the Activity Desk at registration.

Continuing Education Credit Course Changes . . .

Registration will take place in Ka'a'ike Lobby, rather than in Laulima Lobby. The course orientation will be held in Ka'a'ike 105CD from 3-5 pm on Monday, 11 July.

About Printing Handouts for Sessions . . .

A printing service will be available at the Speakers & Presenters Desk at registration. Cost is $.05/page

About Tickets for Family Members . . .

Tickets for the Evening at the Maui Ocean Center will be available for $10 each. They may be purchased at the Activity Desk at registration.

About the Auction . . .

Please bring interesting items for the NMEA Scholarship Fund Raising Auction on Saturday evening, 16 July. You may ship items ahead of time to Patty Miller, 726 South Kihei Road, Kihei, HI 96753 or bring them to the Auction Desk at registration. The auction form is on page 8 of the conference brochure. Remember that the Pike was an auction item that "kept on giving." For the history of the beloved (infamous?) NMEA mascot, go to http://www.susanleachsnyder.com/HistoryOfThePike.html

About Sea Swap and Sea Faire . . .

This year we are separating these two events. The Sea Swap participants are going to do exactly what is says -- swap really cool things with each other. Sea Swappers may then join the Sea Faire when they are finished swapping. The Sea Faire is for folks who have brought items that they want to give away to anyone and everyone who is interested or to promote something they have developed. The Sea Faire participants will have tables on the lanai of the Student Lounge outside the Exhibit Hall.

About Pre-Conference Workshops . . .

The best-kept secret at NMEA 2005 is that there are outstanding pre-conference workshops. Most of them have full scholarships for qualifying teachers. Ocean Exploration has a pre-conference workshop on Monday, 11 July. Don't miss out on these fabulous opportunities. Check 'um out at http://www.hawaii.edu/maui/oceania/NMEA05PRE.html

About Internet Access . . .

There are several places on the MCC campus that will be open with internet access and checking e-mail.

Business Lab in KaLama 201 - open M&W 9 am -3 pm; T&Th noon - 6 pm for e-mail. If you have a wireless laptop, get instructions from the Business Lab tech for making your wireless connections, then you can sit outside on a lovely little lanai whenever you want to check your e-mail.

The Learning Center - open M&W noon - 6 pm; T&Th 9 am - 3 pm

Library - open M-Th 10 am - 6 pm; F 10 am - 4 pm

About Maui Survival Kits . . .

You want don't miss out on something really interesting or going for a refreshing dip in the ocean because you have to go back to your room to change your clothes! When you leave in the morning, take everything that you might possibly need. There are showers at most beach parks and at the MCC Marine Option Program facilities. Dress is very casual on Maui, plus NMEA Conferences have never been known to make major fashion statements.

About Renting Snorkel Gear . . .

Snorkel Bob's, one of the environmentally-conscious businesses on Maui, is offering NMEA 2005 Conference participants a 30% discount on rental and a 50% discount on any purchase of snorkel gear. July is a very busy month on Maui, so you should reserve in advance on their snorkel gear rental web page. To assure that you get the 30% discount when you pick up your snorkel gear, you must verify conference registration by showing either your registration confirmation receipt or conference badge. They are also offering a 50% discount on the purchase of snorkel gear for NMEA registrants.

FAQ

Q. Where and when do I register?

A. Registration and NMEA Central (general information, lost & found, bulletin board) will be located in Ka'a'ike Lobby.

Monday, 11 July: 8 am - 6 pm

Tuesday & Wednesday, 12 & 13 July: 8 am - 5 pm

Thursday, Friday, & Saturday, 14, 15, & 16 July: noon - 5 pm

Q. When is my presentation?

A. Go to http://www.hawaii.edu/maui/oceania/NMEA05SES.html for the Tentative Concurrent Session Schedule

Q. There are so many concurrent sessions; do you think anyone will come to my presentation?

A. At this point, if the registrants were evenly distributed among the sessions, there should be about 15 +/- participants per session. We arranged the field trips to get everyone wet and salty before the concurrent sessions so they won't need to sneak off to the beach -- which is highly unlikely in serious, dedicated, professional organization such as NMEA.

Q. Which field trips are still open for family members?

A. Go to the online conference registration form, scroll down to field trips, and pull down the menus for each day. The field trips that are still open are those not marked "NO SPACE AVAILABLE." Purchase tickets at the Field Trip Desk at registration.

Q. What time does the sun set and rise in Hawai’i in July 2005?

A. 3 July: sunrise 0549, sunset 1911; 17 July: sunrise 0554, sunset 1910

So, I decided to give you some other useful data . . .

Tides for Kahului Harbor

2-3 July: (2nd) 0.7 1140, (3rd) -0.1 0519, 2.9 1314, 0.4 2059

10-11 July: (10th) 0.9 0500, 0.4 0938, 2.4 1700, (11th) 0.2 1226

16-17 July: (16th) 0.9 2153, (17th) -0.1 0400, 2.9 1158, 0.5 1941

Tide times are about an hour-and-a-half later in Kihei and an hour and 10 minutes later in Lahaina and Olowalu and the levels vary slightly. If you look at a tide table for Hawai’i, they are prepared for Honolulu, which is a couple of hours later than Kahului.

Moon phases: 6 July: new moon; 14 July: first quarter; 21 July: full moon; 27 July: last quarter

Air temperature and rainfall for July

Kahului: 87-71 F (30.6C-21.7C) .38" precipitation; possible daytime sunshine 69%

Lahaina: 88-69 F (31.1C-20.6C) .17" precipitation

Hana: 88-70 F (28.3C-21.1C) 5.60" precipitation

Sea water temperature for July

Average about 78˚ F with cooler temperatures (76-77˚ F) at places where fresh water streams enter the ocean, such as Honolua Bay.

Kahului: 20˚ 54’ N latitude, 156˚ 28’ W longitude

Q. What is the weather like on Maui in July?

A. From www.mauiweathertoday.com

July - Summer fully engaged weatherwise, with warm to very warm temperatures. Fortunately the tradewinds temper the summer-time heat. These cooling and refreshing winds keep Maui feeling comfortable during the long warm summer months. Very infrequently a tropical storm may move close to the area giving sticky weather and showers. Summer is when Maui sees small -medium size waves rolling onto the South facing shores from Lahaina to Wailea. These waves are generated in the Southern Hemisphere down near New Zealand...where winter storms "down under" send waves 1000's of miles....to arrive here as South swell. Tradewinds are blowing on the average 95% of the time.

Q. Are breakfast and lunch included in the registration fee? If not, where can we eat?

A. No. However, during registration on Monday, 11 July, MCC Culinary Academy staff will sell lunch tickets at $30 for the three days of symposia and concurrent sessions (14, 15 & 16 July.) There will be a sign up for "grab-and-go" for the convenience of those who need to attend NMEA committee meetings, regional chapter meetings, and the new NMEA Board of Directors meeting during the lunch breaks. There will be more food available for folks who choose not to buy the lunch ticket but, of course, there's no guarantee when that will run out. The other alternative for lunch is the shopping mall across the street from the MCC campus, but that would take too long for those of you who need to attend meetings during the lunch break. There is a Coffee Hour each morning from 8-9 am before the Marine Science Symposia in the Founders Court in front of the Castle Theater with pastry, coffee, and tea.

Q. I’d like to join an NMEA Committee. When do they meet?

A. Tentative lists of meetings (check the conference program for confirmed meetings and locations)

Monday, 11 July, 8 am- 3 pm: Board of Directors

Monday, 11 July, 3-5 pm: By-Laws, Awards, Chapters, and Conference Committees

Monday, 11 July, 6 pm: International and OOMF Committee

Thursday, 14 July, noon- 2 pm: Regional Chapters

Friday, 15 July, noon- 2 pm: Conservation, Grants/Funding, History, NSTA Liaison, Outreach, and Publications Committees

Saturday, 16 July, noon-2 pm: New Board of Directors

NOTE: If you submitted a proposal for a presentation and received an e-mail reminding you to register, STOP HERE because you already read the following FAQ from around 7 April.

Q – I want to take my kids on the field trips. Do they have to register?

A – If you want to assure that family members will be able to participate in field trips, they should register for the conference. Any open spaces will be made available for family members at the Field Trip Desk during registration on Monday, 11 July on a first-come-first-serve basis.

Q – What do I need to bring on my field trip?

A – You will receive a field trip confirmation by e-mail. It will include a checklist of items to bring and instructions about where and when to meet. You must have this confirmation notice with you in order to participate in the field trip. If you do not respond to the e-mail confirmation, one will be mailed to you.

Q – Which evening events are open to friends and family members?

A – The Lu’au and the Exhibitors Reception are open to everyone. If you want to assure that friends and family members will be able to attend other evening events, they should register for the conference. The Evening at the Maui Ocean Center (sponsored by Pacific Region National Marine Sanctuaries and Coastal Zone Management) has a limit. If there is additional space, tickets will be made available at the Activity Desk at registration on Monday, 11 July on a first-come-first-serve basis. The Pacific Whale Foundation Sunset Cruise is limited to the first 400 registrants because of boat capacity and the Auction & Taste of Maui is being held in a venue limited to 500 persons because of fire regulations. There will very likely be tickets available, check at registration.

Q – When will I be presenting?

A – The Program Committee is scheduling concurrent sessions the weekend of 7/8 May. An Excel file with days, times, and room assignments will be posted as soon as possible after that. Once the sessions are formatted for the conference program, they will be made available on the web site as a .pdf file.

Q – What is the cheapest place to stay if I’m coming to Maui for a couple of weeks with my family?

A – Camp PECUSA is $250 per person for two weeks, 3-17 July. You may stay for a shorter period of time, but the fee is fixed at $250. It is a beachside church camp next to a lovely coral reef. This may be our last chance to use this great old spot as the developers’ shovels are coming closer and closer.