Memorial Garden Honorees 2024

Major Charles Kever Hayes

Volunteer
NOAA’s Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary

Mr. Charles “Chuck” Hayes, the first volunteer of the FKNMS Submerged Resource Inventory team, provided unwavering dedication and groundbreaking discoveries which have been instrumental in shaping the course of FKNMS maritime heritage initiatives. Chuck's journey with our agency began as a simple offer of volunteer service, motivated by his deep fascination with maritime history. However, he soon embarked on an exploratory mission in the Florida Keys which led to the remarkable discoveries of submerged historical resources. Recognizing the importance of his findings, Chuck created a comprehensive five-volume catalog of the submerged historical resources that he encountered in Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary, which now serves as foundational documents about historical resources in sanctuary waters and has influenced the development of our maritime heritage program.

Major Denis Trelewicz

Volunteer
NOAA’s Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary

Mr. Denis Trelewicz provided invaluable contributions as a volunteer to Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary. Over the course of 20 years, Denis contributed 4,686 volunteer hours to the sanctuary, including over 3,000 images he took and developed. These images provided not just visual evidence but also critical data for understanding underwater sites and how they change over time, serving as a visual archive for future generations. In addition to his underwater work, Denis performed hundreds of hours of archival research, including on the steamship, Menemon Sanford which ultimately led to the positive confirmation of the site’s location in the sanctuary. Denis spearheaded the recovery and funded the preservation of the 1853 Enfield rifle, now a NOAA Heritage Asset, which positively identified the shipwreck Menemon Sanford as a Civil War era vessel lost in 1862 while carrying troops from New York to New Orleans.

Dr. Sherri Eldridge

Nancy Foster Scholar
NOAA's Office of National Marine Sanctuaries

At the age of 53, Dr. Sherri Eldridge became a NOAA Dr. Nancy Foster Scholar working with the Hawaiian Islands Humpback Whale and Stellwagen Bank national marine sanctuaries. Her novel research expanded the field of sensory biology on marine mammals and contributed to the Office of National Marine Sanctuaries’ (ONMS) goal of protecting endangered species and strengthening global ocean literacy. During her scholarship, she received the highly prestigious American Association of University Women’s Dissertation Fellowship and a National Science Foundation Postdoctoral Research Fellowship. In 2022, ONMS staff partnered with a broad range of collaborators and colleagues across the globe to posthumously write and submit her work for publication. The collaborative effort is a testament to Sherri's positive energy, enthusiasm, curiosity, and intellect that created lasting friendships throughout the National Marine Sanctuary System and continues to be an inspiration to all those that were lucky enough to know her.

Dr. John Pearse

Professor Emeritus, University of California, Santa Cruz

Dr. John Pearse pioneered long-term studies of ecosystems on California’s Central Coast, helped establish the marine science program at UC Santa Cruz, wrote major textbooks and reference books, and led scientific organizations. However, his most enduring legacy is the many students he inspired, mentored, and helped launch successful scientific careers, including many of those who went on to work for NOAA. In 2000, he worked with the Office of National Marine Sanctuaries to launch the Long-Term Monitoring Program and Experiential Training for Students (LiMPETS), a statewide monitoring program for the coastal ecosystems of California’s national marine sanctuaries. John was also heavily involved in the Research Advisory Panel of Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary, often attending meetings and presenting his research. In 2008, John was honored with a lifetime achievement award from the Western Society of Naturalists. In 2011 he received the California Academy of Sciences Fellows' Medal, its highest honor.

James Crowley

Trustee and Vice Chairman
National Marine Sanctuary Foundation

James “Jim” Crowley served as Trustee and Vice Chairman of the National Marine Sanctuary Foundation. During his tenure, he visited every National Marine Sanctuary to learn about the community, the issues, and the opportunities for support, which strengthened his conviction that good science and community engagement are vital in addressing loss of habitat and preserving the marine environment. He worked tirelessly to support numerous public and private partnerships, including Project Lionfish, a partnership between the Office of National Marine Sanctuaries and CORE to develop an innovative solution for catching invasive lionfish. With passion and optimism, Jim supported projects to restore and protect wetlands, coral reefs, seagrasses, and kelp forests in National Marine Sanctuaries, and by extension, the wildlife that depend on them. With a long and impressive career in management and governance, Jim brought a realistic focus to the planning, management, scientific, and funding requirements essential for ocean restoration projects.

Rear Admiral Richard “Rick” Thomas Brennan, Jr.

Director
NOAA’s Office of Coast Survey

NOAA Corps Rear Admiral Richard “Rick” Brennan, director of NOAA’s Office of Coast Survey, was an integral part of building connections across NOAA line and program offices, including the Office of National Marine Sanctuaries, to benefit coastal communities around the United States. Rick was instrumental in advocating for regional mapping, including the Southern California Seafloor Mapping Initiative, a cross-line office NOAA partnership which helped to identify multiple new hazards to navigation, new coral gardens, and even a new species of snail. Additionally, the survey identified a previously uncharted reef in Channel Islands National Marine Sanctuary, which was later officially designated as “Brennan Reef” in Rick’s honor. He also championed the 2022 Rainier Integrates Charting, Hydrography, and Reef Demographics, or RICHARD Cruise, (named posthumously for Admiral Brennan), which included hydrographic and coral surveys in the National Marine Sanctuary of American Samoa, delivering high‐quality data, data products, and tools to the region.

Evelyn Ganson

Volunteer
NOAA’s Stellwagen Bank National Marine Sanctuary

Evenlyn Ganson had a long standing fascination with marine mammals, spending holidays as photographer on whale census expeditions. When Evelyn retired, she found her way to Stellwagen Bank National Marine Sanctuary and contributed 600 hours of volunteer service in her first year. Evelyn used her business acumen and desire to make a difference to raise the visibility of the sanctuary and advance resource protection initiatives. Evelyn helped kick start the sanctuary’s volunteer program, produced education and outreach materials for the Sister Sanctuary Program and WhaleSENSE, and contributed to the formal relationships built between several Caribbean nations and the sanctuary. At sea, Evelyn collected data and photographed wildlife and our operations, freely sharing her pictures to highlight activities and recruit others. In 2010, she was honored as the Volunteer of the Year for the sanctuary. Over the course of 11 years, Evelyn contributed between 300-600 hours per year to the sanctuary.

Don Baur

Board Member
National Marine Sanctuary Foundation

Don had a distinguished career. He was a thought leader and tireless advocate for ocean conservation and a champion of marine protection. The books he wrote and edited are must reads in the fields of marine policy. As a member of the National Marine Sanctuary Foundation's Board of Trustees and as trustee emeritus, Don volunteered his time to support sanctuary work and challenged us all to do more to protect our ocean and Great Lakes. He helped establish the Foundation's work with the Department of Justice, was an ardent supporter of Capitol Hill Ocean Week, and formed new partnerships to further regional ocean conservation with Cuba and Mexico. Don worked across the sanctuary system to get new sanctuary nominations submitted and worked within DC to advance support for all sanctuaries.

James Joseph Ferguson

Director, Education and Outreach Program
National Geographic Society

James Joseph "Joe" Ferguson was the director of the National Geographic Society Education and Outreach Program. In partnership with the Office of National Marine Sanctuaries, Joe led a series of “Sustainable Seas Expeditions”, including to Gray’s Reef National Marine Sanctuary in 1999. In 2001, Joe was accompanying three teacher-student pairs of the program from Washington, D.C. to Los Angeles, CA. The flight they were on, American Airlines Flight 77, was hijacked and flown into the Pentagon on September 11, 2001. Ferguson and the expedition were on their way to Channel Islands National Marine Sanctuary. In February 2002, Gray's Reef NMS dedicated the R/V Joe Ferguson in recognition of all Joe had done to educate students about the marine environment and America's ocean treasures. In 2024, the R/V Joe Ferguson will be decommissioned, and this memorial will continue to honor Joe in perpetuity.