Thank you to everyone who joined us for our 2025 Conference!
Stay tuned for the official 2026 Conference location announcement in Early 2026.
2025 SCMEA Annual Conference: Currents of Connections
November 7th - 9th, 2025 | Beaufort, South Carolina
2025 SCMEA Conference Keynote:
Lauren Rust, MSc.
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Lauren Rust is the founder and executive director of LMMN. She received her BS in Marine Biology from the College of Charleston in 2004 followed by her MSc in Ecology from the University of Wales, UK, in 2007. Before founding LMMN in 2017, Lauren managed the research department at The Marine Mammal Center in CA managing the necropsy lab, various research projects and leading the large whale recovery team. She has also worked at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) and the Environmental Specimen Bank at the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) here in Charleston. Lauren is also a faculty member in the marine biology graduate program at the College of Charleston to mentor students. She's passionate about marine mammal research and education and hopes to bring greater awareness about Charleston's local dolphin population to the Lowcountry.
Her Keynote, Bridging the Divide—Collaborative Pathways to Place-Based Marine Science Education, will discuss bridging the divide between classroom and community by collaborating with local organizations and resources to create powerful, relevant, place-based marine science experiences. This partnership empowers educators to use the real-world environment as the richest, most effective teaching tool.
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2025 SCMEA Conference: Overview of Events
Below is an overview of the schedule of events for planning purposes. Registered participants will receive a conference agenda closer to the meeting.
Friday, November 7th, 2025
- Welcome event at Shellring Ale Works from 6 pm - 8 pm
- Main conference day at Lowcountry Montessori School
- Keynote Presentation from Lauren Rust, MSc. Executive Director of the Lowcountry Marine Mammal Network
- Presentations throughout the day followed by a banquet and silent auction at Q on Bay (included with registration)
- Optional FREE post-conference field trips in the Beaufort area. Choose from:
- Monarch Butterfly Tagging Program at Lowcountry Montessori School: Learn about the migration of monarchs and contribute to the community science project of tracking monarch migration! Participants will assist with the capturing, tagging, and release of monarchs found!
- Salt Marsh Kayak Program at Fripp Island: Choose between a single or double kayak and enjoy a 2-hr guided paddle through the salt marsh around Fripp Island! Sign-ups for this excursion will be shared with registered participants closer to the conference. Thank you to Fripp Island Golf & Beach Resort for the generous donation of this experience!
For any questions regarding the conference, please contact: [email protected]
Thank You to our 2025 Conference Sponsors!
Venue Donation:
Silent Auction Donations:
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Field Trip Donations:
Interested in sponsoring or donating to the South Carolina Marine Educator's Conference?
Contact us at: [email protected]
Contact us at: [email protected]