North American Marine Environment Protection Association - NAMEPA

10/27/2026

Looking Ahead: The Future of Maritime Leadership

As the maritime industry navigates new environmental, operational, and geopolitical challenges, strong leadership and collaboration will be essential to what comes next.

At NAMEPA’s Annual Conference on October 29, Jan-Willem van den Dijssel, Americas Lead at Cargill Ocean Transportation and Vice Chairman of NAMEPA, will open the program with his keynote address, “The Future of Maritime: Balancing Commerce, Conservation, and Global Responsibility.”

The conference also marks a significant moment for NAMEPA as Jan-Willem prepares to succeed Joe Hughes as Chairman following Joe’s decade of leadership. That evening, we will honor Joe with NAMEPA’s 2026 Lifetime Achievement Award in recognition of his lasting contributions to our organization and the maritime industry.

Join us in New York City for a day of industry insights, meaningful conversations, and recognition of the leadership helping shape maritime’s future.

✅Register here: https://namepa.net/2026-annual-conference-and-awards-program/

10/26/2026

How can the maritime industry navigate growing geopolitical uncertainty while meeting the demands of environmental responsibility?

At NAMEPA’s Annual Conference & Awards Dinner, we’re pleased to welcome Dr. Nikolas P. Tsakos, Founder and CEO of Tsakos Energy Navigation (TEN), as a keynote presenter.

Drawing on decades of experience in global shipping and maritime leadership, Dr. Tsakos will share his perspective on the geopolitical developments and environmental challenges shaping the industry today.

Join us for an afternoon of important conversations, industry insights, and connections, followed by an evening celebrating the people and organizations making a difference in marine environment protection.

October 29, 2026
New York City

Be part of the conversation shaping maritime’s future.

✅Learn more and register: https://namepa.net/2026-annual-conference-and-awards-program/

📖Read the full Press Release: https://namepa.net/2026/10/23/nikolas-tsakos-to-bring-global-shipping-perspective-on-environmental-and-geopolitical-challenges-at-namepas-annual-conference-and-awards-dinner/

10/06/2026

We’re excited to celebrate the New England Science & Sailing Foundation (NESS) as a 2026 NAMEPA Marine Environment Protection Award recipient in the Non-Profit Environmental Award category.

For 25 years, NESS has been connecting students with the marine environment through hands-on, ocean-based education. Their work has reached more than 50,000 students, built partnerships with 117+ schools and community organizations, and helped expand access to marine education through $9 million in scholarships.

That is 25 years of helping young people get on the water, discover the ocean, and develop a deeper connection to the environment we all share.

Now, it’s time to celebrate that impact. 🥂

Join us in New York City on October 29 as we honor NESS alongside the other 2026 Marine Environment Protection Award recipients at NAMEPA’s Annual Conference & Awards Dinner.

Come celebrate the people and organizations making a difference for our marine environment. We’d love to see you there!

https://namepa.net/2026-annual-conference-and-awards-program/

10/05/2026

Some marine operations require an extraordinary level of planning, precision, and expertise.

Our NAMEPA member, Resolve Marine, is currently leading the carefully planned removal of the three remaining masts from the historic SS Richard Montgomery, a World War II Liberty ship that sank in the Thames Estuary in 1944.

The wreck remains one of the UK’s most closely monitored shipwreck sites, with approximately 1,400 tons of wartime mu*****ns still aboard. Resolve Marine’s engineers, divers, and marine specialists are carrying out the operation under strict safety and engineering protocols designed to protect the stability of the wreck and the surrounding area.

It’s an impressive example of the specialized expertise found across the maritime industry and the important role marine professionals play in addressing complex challenges beneath the surface.

Congratulations to the Resolve Marine team on this significant operation!

Read more and see photos of the work underway in The Maritime Executive:https://maritime-executive.com/article/photos-resolve-marine-removing-masts-off-historic-richard-montgomery-wreck

Global marine solutions provider Resolve Marine released photos showing the work underway to remove the masts from the historic wreck of the SS Richar...

09/30/2026

The NAMEPA community was well represented at the American Association of Port Authorities’ 115th Annual Convention in New Orleans, with members from Port of Long Beach, Port Corpus Christi, Port Everglades, and Port Houston in attendance.

We’re especially proud to celebrate two of our members recognized among the 2026 AAPA Lighthouse Award winners:

🏆 Port Everglades received the Excellence in Cruise Practices Award for its “Find-a-Cruise” initiative, helping cruise guests navigate their options from Port Everglades.

🏆 Port Houston received the Excellence in Community/Educational Outreach Award in the Large Port category for its “Anchored in Action: A Community Investment Plan,” recognizing its work to strengthen connections with the community.

Congratulations to Port Everglades and Port Houston, and to all of the 2026 Lighthouse Award winners! It’s always exciting to see the work of our members recognized across the port and maritime industry.

09/29/2026

The countdown is on!

In just one month, we’ll be gathering in New York City for one of our favorite evenings of the year: NAMEPA’s Annual Conference & Awards Dinner.

Expect great conversations, familiar faces, new connections, a few well-deserved celebrations, and plenty of reasons to raise a glass to the people and organizations making a difference across our maritime community.

We’ll also be celebrating our 2026 Marine Environment Protection Award recipients and honoring Joe Hughes with the NAMEPA Lifetime Achievement Award!

Of course, an evening like this doesn’t happen without the support of our incredible sponsors.

A special thank you to:

The American Club, BlankRome, Cargill, Carnival Cruise Lines, CT Port Authority, DNV, Dorian LPG, Morgan Marketing and Communications, Navios Maritime Partners, The Pasha Group, Port Everglades, Resolve Marine, Smit Salvage, Triworld, and Wasteline Solutions.

Thank you for helping us make this evening possible and for supporting NAMEPA’s work throughout the year. We can’t wait to see everyone in New York! ⚓

Save your seat today: https://namepa.net/2026-annual-conference-and-awards-program/

09/28/2026

A major milestone for our NAMEPA member, PortMiami!

PortMiami has reached more than 10 million cruise passenger movements in FY2026, reclaiming its position as the world’s busiest cruise homeport and surpassing its previous annual record of 8.56 million passenger movements.

The milestone reflects continued investment in infrastructure, innovation, efficiency, and partnerships across the cruise and maritime industries.

Congratulations to the PortMiami team and its cruise partners on this incredible achievement!

Read more about the milestone in The Maritime Executive: https://maritime-executive.com/article/portmiami-reaches-10m-cruise-passengers-to-reclaim-world-s-largest-title

PortMiami is surpassing 10 million cruise ship passenger movements in FY 2026, which returns it to the position of the busiest cruise home port in the...

09/25/2026

We’re excited to announce that NAMEPA and the International Propeller Club have signed a Memorandum of Understanding to expand the reach of NAMEPA’s Adopt a Ship Program!

The MOU was signed during the International Propeller Club’s 99th Anniversary Convention in San Diego by Costis Frangoulis, President of the International Propeller Club, and Carleen Lyden Walker, Co-Founder and CEO of NAMEPA.

This partnership brings together two organizations with a shared commitment to maritime education and workforce development, opening the door for more students to connect directly with the people and careers that keep our industry moving.

Through Adopt a Ship, students connect with seafarers at sea, learn what life is really like aboard a vessel, explore maritime operations and global commerce, and discover career paths they may never have known existed.

And now, with the International Propeller Club’s network of more than 70 Ports around the world, we have an exciting opportunity to bring those connections to even more classrooms and communities.

From navigation and engineering to logistics, port operations, environmental protection, technology, and beyond, the maritime industry has a place for today’s students.

We’re excited to see where this partnership takes Adopt a Ship and, more importantly, how many students we can inspire to see themselves as part of the future of maritime.

Read the full announcement and learn more about Adopt a Ship at namepa.net/adopt-a-ship/.

09/24/2026

🌊 Happy World Maritime Day! ⚓

Today, we celebrate the people, ideas, and partnerships that keep the maritime industry moving forward.

This year’s theme, “From Policy to Practice: Powering Maritime Excellence,” is a reminder that progress happens when ideas and commitments become meaningful action.

At NAMEPA, we’re focused on bringing people together to learn, share ideas, and help shape the future of our industry. Through our conferences, educational programs, and outreach initiatives, we create opportunities for maritime professionals, educators, students, and industry partners to connect and continue important conversations about the future of maritime and the protection of our marine environment.

Today, we’re also celebrating the creativity and perspectives of the students who participated in our NAMEPA Art Contest. Each year, the theme correlates to the World Maritime Day theme, this year with the focus being on policy to practice. Showing safety, innovation, and technology within the maritime industry. Their artwork is a wonderful reminder that the future of our oceans belongs to all of us.

Here’s to the next generation of maritime professionals, marine scientists, and ocean stewards!