The National Oceanic Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) Team Member of the Year award is presented each year to team members of the NOAA NMFS workforce who are not actual NOAA Federal employees. These awards recognize the outstanding contributions to NMFS programs by team members working alongside NMFS staff, and their demonstrated, exceptional and sustained effort toward accomplishment of the NMFS mission.
We are proud to present the Ocean Associates, Inc. employees who have been awarded as a 2020 NOAA NMFS Team Member of the Year – Congratulations to all!

Edward “Eddie” Hayman (NWFSC) for exceptional job performance, teamwork, and substantive contributions to the understanding of sablefish reproductive physiology, supporting environmentally and economically sustainable marine aquaculture.

Garrett Seibert (SWFSC) for working continuously on-site at the SWFSC providing critical animal husbandry to fish and abalone throughout the COVID-19 shutdown to keep the animals alive and systems functioning during a period where minimal assistance was available.

Courtney Smith (OPR) for exceptional support to the NMFS Office of Protected Resources in issuance of a controversial and litigious Marine Mammal Protection Act permit to import five Beluga whales for scientific research studies.