NEERS Member Benefits

The New England Estuarine Research Society (NEERS) was established in 1969 to bring together people actively engaged in estuarine and coastal research and management for informal discussion and exchange of ideas. Members come from scientific and educational institutions; federal, state, and municipal agencies; nonprofit organizations; and consulting organizations in New England and New York. NEERS has an open and friendly camaraderie and a tradition of being supportive of students and works in progress. We are serious about our estuaries and our research but informal at our meetings.

NEERS is an affiliate society of the Estuarine Research Federation. Typical of the affiliates, NEERS meets twice a year (i.e., spring and fall). Meetings usually commence on a Thursday and conclude at noon on the following Saturday. Thursday meetings are typically a Special Symposium focusing on a particular estuarine research geographic area or issue. This is followed by regular meetings and presentations on Friday through Saturday.

Spring 2010, Best Graduate Oral Presentation winners. From left to right: Pam Morgan (NEERS President), Kristin Wilson (Univ. of Maine), Marc Skinner (Canadian Rivers Institute) and Martha Jones (ACCESSPresident).

NEERS meetings are informal, suits and ties not allowed! The Society strongly promotes and gives preference to student participation and presentations. Five dollars of the membership fee is directed toward a special student fund. It is the Society's goal to have this fund become self-sustaining. Presenters are encouraged to present their research, whether it is preliminary or final. Scientific presentations may be given by members only, except by special invitation by the President.

Members receive announcements of meetings and the newsletters. A significant aspect of NEERS meetings are the evening socials and most important - DANCING! Some towns in Maine have been known to erect monuments commemorating NEERS for their electrifying attendance at local dance halls, not to mention the boost to the local economy!

Student dues are $5.00 and regular dues are $20.00. To present at a meeting, you must be a member. For our loyal members, dues are paid at the spring meeting. To register, click the "Join Now" icon. You can also register or renew your membership using the meeting preregistration form available on line just prior to meetings. If you have any questions, please contact the NEERS Treasurer.

Connect

Network with coastal researchers and environmental managers from New England and New York.

Coordinate and collaborate with researchers and environmental decision-makers who share your interests.

Exchange information with your peers from regional research institutions.

Get information on regional activities and resources.

Learn about NEERS activities from the Newsletter and Members Listserver.

Join NEERS Listserver that is open to all and publishes interesting finds, poses questions on identification of species, and posts job openings.

Browse NEERS website containing many resources for estuarine and coastal researchers and managers.

Access members database.

Be a member of an Affiliate Society of the international Coastal and Estuarine Research Federation (CERF).

Participate

Attend a NEERS meeting (spring of every year and fall of even years). Meetings usually begin with a special symposium that focuses upon the state of science regarding a topical issue, followed by a day and a half of regular meetings, and then field trips.

Present a paper or poster.

Foster communication and collegiality in the New England estuarine research community.

Get inspired by invited regional, national, and international keynote speakers.

Try for an award such as the NEERS Achievement Award or the Stickleback Award.

Learn about new equipment from vendors who set up displays.

Get Involved

Make a difference in estuarine research, education, management, and conservation.

Lead. Become an officer of NEERS or join a committee.

Host a meeting. You choose the topic for Special Symposium and invite keynote speaker(s). CERF provides travel funds for invited speaker(s).

Judge student presentations that are contending for prizes at meetings.

Participate in the policy arena. Provide scientific information to environmental managers.

Contribute articles to NEERS Newsletter or posts to listserver that provide information on issues regarding regional estuaries.

Collaborate with other institutions on regional research projects.

Learn about position announcements, ranging from undergraduate research and internship opportunities to professional positions for senior scientists.

Build your professional network.

Just for Students!

Bask in the NEERS tradition of support to students; NEERS meetings are friendly places for students to give that first talk at a scientific meeting.

Contend for a presentation prize. Four $100 prizes are given for the best graduate and undergraduate oral and poster presentations.

Get a travel award. Any student attending a meeting is eligible to apply for one of three $100 travel awards and two $250 travel awards to support their participation in NEERS meetings. Additionally, NEERS provides two $500 travel awards for NEERS student members presenting at biennial CERF conferences.