October 2024

Congratulations to the 2024 Volunteers of the Year!

Every year, national marine sanctuaries nominate one volunteer or team of volunteers from each site to receive the Volunteer of the Year award. The Volunteer of the Year is someone who made an outstanding contribution to the National Marine Sanctuary System in their volunteer role, be it scuba diving, whale identification, assisting visitors in a visitor center, or anything in between. Volunteers of the Year have made exceptional donations of their time, energy, and talents to protect and conserve America’s underwater treasures. Many Volunteers of the Year have spent years supporting their site and the National Marine Sanctuary System as a whole.

This year on National Marine Sanctuary Day and the 52nd anniversary of the National Marine Sanctuaries Act, NOAA’s Office of National Marine Sanctuaries would like to say a heartfelt thank you and congratulations to the following individuals:

Claire Bacus-DeWees

National Marine Sanctuary of American Samoa

Claire has been involved with National Marine Sanctuary of American Samoa education programs for more than seven years, participating in various capacities including professional development workshops, promotion of ocean literacy, school visits, tours, sanctuary events, and as a NOAA Ocean Guardian School advisor. She has been involved with the sanctuary through various educational programs, and has notably contributed her time volunteering to lead train-the-trainer professional development workshops in collaboration with staff and scholars. She is an inspiration to her students, and that is demonstrated in the STEAM (science, technology, engineering, art, and math) career pathways that her students take in response to the learning they receive. Through her time and expertise, Claire has been an invaluable education ally to the National Marine Sanctuary of American Samoa. She has helped to empower teachers with the knowledge to confidently teach students complex science concepts in an easy and enjoyable way.

A woman in a hat stands on a beach and writes on a clipboard.

Julie Bitnoff

Greater Farallones National Marine Sanctuary

Julie Bitnoff has been a Beach Watch volunteer for 12 years. Through Beach Watch, she surveys two assigned beaches regularly to track live and dead wildlife and human uses on NOAA’s Greater Farallones National Marine Sanctuary shorelines. She also completes annual harbor seal pup counts for population tracking and is Hazardous Waste Operations and Emergency Response certified so that she is ready to respond to oil spills and other environmental disasters. A retired high school science teacher, Julie created data-driven curriculum for her students using sightings and data from her Beach Watch surveys to share real-world science examples and educate students about Greater Farallones National Marine Sanctuary. Julie participates in continuous learning opportunities to build her skills and brings her experience to mentor other volunteers. She brings her cheery disposition, enthusiasm, and willingness to help to the Beach Watch project.

A woman in a wetsuit holds two large orange fish.

Rachel Bowman

Flower Garden Banks National Marine Sanctuary

Rachel Bowman, the “Lionfish Huntress,” is passionate about both protecting NOAA’s Flower Garden Banks National Marine Sanctuary resources and making sure that people get to experience this special place first hand. Since volunteering as the Lionfish Invitational trip coordinator starting in 2016, thousands of lionfish have been removed from the sanctuary in the Gulf of Mexico, providing data for numerous scientific projects, as well as saving millions of native reef fish from lionfish predation. These lionfish trips would not happen without her dedication and passion. In addition to coordinating the trips, Rachel started her own nonprofit, called Lionfish Invitational, Inc., to support these missions. She also built a website highlighting these trips and provided an online application to reduce paper waste. In 2023, Rachel raised $70,000 with partner organizations to subsidize the cost of these trips for citizen science divers, and developed a new partnership with Texas Parks and Wildlife to remove lionfish from artificial reefs near Flower Garden Banks National Marine Sanctuary in 2024. Congratulations to Rachel for earning the 2024 Volunteer of the Year title!

A man stands in front of a classroom, speaking with his arms spread wide.

Duffy Burns

Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary

Duffy Burns has served as volunteer docent at NOAA’s Monterey Bay Bay National Marine Sanctuary’s Coastal Discovery Center for the past eight years. He has dedicated countless hours to inspiring visitors from all over the world by sharing his passion for marine science and conservation. Duffy has helped bring greater awareness to Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary in the local community through his work in the visitor center, as well as helping to recruit new volunteers. His guidance has also played a critical role in re-establishing elementary school field trips to the Coastal Discovery Center after the COVID-19 closures. Duffy’s mentorship has aided both staff and volunteers serving as informal educators and been critical in inspiring the next generation of environmental stewards. Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary staff, and especially the Coastal Discovery Center Team, is incredibly grateful for Duffy’s service over the years and is honored to recognize him as their Volunteer of the Year.

A woman stands behind a table with a display of photos and talks to another person.

Josie Cooper

Gray’s Reef National Marine Sanctuary

Josie Cooper is a visitor specialist at the Gray's Reef Ocean Discovery Center who exemplifies the mission of NOAA’s Gray's Reef National Marine Sanctuary, demonstrating how volunteers can share the sanctuary's wonders with the community. Her eagerness to learn about the ocean deepens her personal connection with Georgia's waters, which she enthusiastically extends to everyone she encounters at the Ocean Discovery Center or public events. Josie exemplifies the mission of Gray's Reef National Marine Sanctuary, demonstrating how volunteers can share the sanctuary's wonders with the community. Her eagerness to learn about the ocean deepens her personal connection with Georgia's waters, which she enthusiastically extends to everyone she encounters at the Ocean Discovery Center or public events. Congratulations to Josie Cooper for earning the 2024 Volunteer of the Year title at Gray’s Reef!

A man in a baseball cap holds a camera and smiles.

Keith Flood

Cordell Bank National Marine Sanctuary

Keith Flood is being recognized for his unwavering and inspiring leadership as the president of the Board of Directors for Cordell Marine Sanctuary Foundation CMSF, an organization dedicated to assisting NOAA’s Cordell Bank National Marine Sanctuary to protect whales, seabirds, and habitats. When Keith retired after serving his community for 33 years as a professional firefighter, he wanted to do a lot of volunteer work. Fueled by his long-time fascination for Cordell Bank and his passion for technical diving and underwater photography, Keith has led the foundation in supporting Cordell Bank National Marine Sanctuary’s scientific research, education and outreach, and resource protection programs, helping the sanctuary achieve its strategic goals. Keith has had a lifelong passion for sharing what lies beneath the waves of our ocean with others. In 1987 he joined a group of citizen scientists who had just completed the first-ever exploration of a little-known underwater oasis 20 miles west of Point Reyes–Cordell Bank.

A woman in a hat and an orange life jacket smiles at the camera.

Melinda Forist

Stellwagen Bank National Marine Sanctuary

Melinda Forist is a volunteer for the Stellwagen Sanctuary Seabird Stewards (S4) Program and an education and outreach ambassador for NOAA’s Stellwagen Bank National Marine Sanctuary. Melinda began volunteering in 2012 as a bird observer and data recorder. Her bird knowledge and excitement for spotting wildlife makes her a great leader and mentor for training new volunteers. Melinda works with local whale watch companies and other volunteers to coordinate opportunistic data collection trips. She records bird and mammal observations for other sanctuary research cruises, such as internal waves and sand lance, helping scientists to better understand the environmental processes and ecological relationships of sanctuary species. Melinda assists with education and outreach programs, leading and coordinating her own event this past year. Melinda’s wide range of knowledge and expertise makes her an invaluable volunteer to all of Stellwagen Bank National Marine Sanctuary’s programs, making a measurable difference in their capacity to collect data, reach new audiences, and raise awareness of the sanctuary. Congratulations to Melinda for earning the 2024 Volunteer of the Year title!

Lee James

Hawaiian Islands Humpback Whale National Marine Sanctuary

As one of only five Level IV responders in the Hawaiian Islands, Lee James leads the West Maui Large Whale Entanglement Team, maintaining 24/7 on-call status for whale response during whale season that runs from November through April. In 2023, he led three entanglement response efforts, and provided in-kind support by dedicating one of his vessels for response and research, including drone operations, sampling, and gear deployments. Lee was also instrumental in getting the West Maui response team up and running again after the devastating Lahaina fires–-even as he and his business were recovering from personal losses. Lee has personally helped increase NOAA’s Hawaiian Islands Humpback Whale National Marine Sanctuary education and outreach capacity through his tour operation, promoting the sanctuary and their mission and broadening their visibility through messaging with his clients, and as a member of the Sanctuary Advisory Council.

A woman stands on the deck of a docked boat and holds a large ship wheel.

Janet “Jan” Knisely-Simons

Thunder Bay National Marine Sanctuary

When Jan moved to northeast Michigan after retiring from her career as a teacher, she realized she wasn't quite ready to be retired. She wanted something to do and looked into becoming a volunteer at NOAA’s Thunder Bay National Marine Sanctuary. That was nine years and hundreds of volunteer hours ago. After decades of teaching, staying connected to education, science, and the community were high priorities for her, and her role as a volunteer at Thunder Bay National Marine Sanctuary is a perfect fit. Jan loves to help with the annual MATE ROV competition, decorate for the Halloween Haunted Ship, and help with the Thunder Bay International Film Festival every January. In between those big, signature events, you'll often find her helping with a Get Into Your Sanctuary visit for a class of third graders. Jan also serves on the Sanctuary Advisory Council. Her passion for the community of Alpena and the care of the Great Lakes is inspiring to visitors of all ages!

A man in a blue shirt and a baseball cap smiles while holding a large camera.

Austin McRae

Channel Islands National Marine Sanctuary

Austin MacRae is passionate about marine conservation, and his background as a travel photojournalist sparked his natural curiosity about the wonders of the Santa Barbara Channel and the Channel Islands. Austin fulfills his duties as a Channel Islands Naturalist Corps volunteer with passion and is extremely dedicated. Through his service over the past nine years Austin has volunteered hundreds of hours interpreting and enhancing the experiences of visitors and fellow volunteers while spreading his positive and enthusiastic nature to all he meets. Austin has helped others find their own personal connections to NOAA’s Channel Islands National Marine Sanctuary and Channel Islands National Park and has truly made a difference.

A woman in a yellow jacket and a knit cap smiles at the camera.

Melissa Miner

Olympic Coast National Marine Sanctuary

For more than a decade, Melissa has anchored the annual intertidal monitoring team at two sites monitored by NOAA’s Olympic Coast National Marine Sanctuary, located on tribal reservation lands owned by the Makah Tribe and Quinault Indian Nation. Melissa has presented monitoring results to each Tribe and has worked with Olympic Coast sanctuary staff to create new innovative, interactive graphs for the sanctuary's recent condition report. More recently, Melissa has secured necessary resources to conduct these biodiversity surveys with staff and volunteers plus brought in experts to perform more detailed and extensive surveys of the sites. She also obtained permits to include survey work with drones. Melissa is generous with her specialized expertise and has worked tirelessly to continue these important monitoring efforts, despite the rough terrain, early mornings, and the occasional camp out in remote locations. Her work is evidence of benefits that dedicated individuals can have on research and resource protection efforts.

A man in a blue shirt stands in front of an informational sign, talking with one hand gesturing.

Stephen Patten

Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary

Stephen has volunteered at NOAA’s Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary since early 2017, and has contributed nearly 1,000 hours in that time. He is now the sanctuary’s longest serving Eco-Discovery Center docent, and is an invaluable member of the team. He has helped train new volunteers, joined group cleanup events, and is a member of the Sanctuary Advisory Council, all in addition to his weekly shifts at the Eco-Discovery Center. He is an authority on the environmental history and communities of the Keys, and does a wonderful job introducing visitors to not only the center, but to the environment around it as well. Stephen ensures everyone walks away with a deeper understanding of Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary’s delicate ecosystems and how we can all help to preserve them.

A woman stands under a tent in front of a display board and talks to a group.

Lynne Wheeler

Mallows Bay-Potomac River National Marine Sanctuary

As an avid birder with the Southern Maryland Audubon Society, Lynne Wheeler is passionate about sharing her knowledge with others. As a volunteer for NOAA’s Mallows Bay-Potomac River National Marine Sanctuary, Lynne has engaged hundreds of people at outreach events and private tours to better understand the uniqueness of the sanctuary and the land that surrounds it. In addition, Lynne has worked with sanctuary staff on several projects to help identify points of interest for nesting grounds and optimal viewing spots for osprey and other birds of the sanctuary. Lynn has also volunteered at each sanctuary outreach event to lead groups of people on hiking tours of the trails surrounding the sanctuary. She is extremely knowledgeable of the flora and fauna as well as the history of the sanctuary and shares that expertise in all her talks. As one of Mallows Bay-Potomac River sanctuary’s biggest supporters, Lynne comes to Sanctuary Advisory Council meetings and works behind the scenes to help staff create better products for the public to understand the beauty and richness of this special place. Lynne Wheeler is the epitome of a volunteer. Always eager to support the sanctuary's outreach and education mission as well as serving as a subject matter expert in the field. She has gone above and beyond!