NOAA LEADERSHIP IN KEY WEST FOR MEMORIAL EVENT

The Assistant Administrator for National Ocean Service, Nicole LeBoeuf, and Director of National Marine Sanctuaries John Armor will be among the dignitaries participating in a ceremony to honor deceased members of the sanctuary family on Monday, January 22, 2024 at 4:30 p.m.  Sixteen names will be added to the Memorial Garden display on the waterfront near Florida Keys Eco-Discovery Center, including former sanctuary colleagues and volunteers from around the country.

Two of the honorees were critical to preserving submerged cultural resources in the Keys, volunteering thousands of hours to the sanctuary. Major Charles Hayes, who died in 2014, was an ardent environmentalist and amateur marine archaeologist who is credited with developing the Submerged Cultural Resources Inventory program for the Upper Florida Keys. He often partnered with Major Denis Trelewicz, and together they discovered the wreck of the Menemon Sanford, which grounded on Carsyfort Reef in 1862.  Trelewicz died in 2005.

In 2013, NOAA’s Office of National Marine Sanctuaries dedicated the Memorial Garden on the grounds of the Dr. Nancy Foster Florida Keys Environmental Complex in Key West, situated by the water and looking westward into the setting sun. The garden honors NOAA colleagues, volunteers, and federal partners who were important to the sanctuary system and have now passed. The honorees are nominated and selected by peers, and are recognized for their outstanding and honorable service to the National Marine Sanctuary System. They represent the many faces, professions, and talents needed to carry out the mission and goals of national marine sanctuaries.

WHAT:            Memorial Garden Ceremony

WHEN:            Monday, January 22, 2024, 4:30pm

WHERE:         35 Quay Road, Key West, FL 33040 (Directly behind Eco-Discovery Center)

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