Coastal and Estuarine Research Federation Scientific Award Recipients

The Coastal and Estuarine Research Federation (CERF) recognizes excellence in and service to the fields of coastal and estuarine science, management and education through several scientific and service awards. The recipients of these awards embody the mission of CERF to advance understanding and wise stewardship of estuarine and coastal ecosystems worldwide by promoting research in estuarine and coastal ecosystems; supporting education of scientists, decision-makers and the public; and facilitating communication among these groups. Awards are presented every two years in conjunction with the biennial conference.

Learn more about CERF Scientific Awards Process

Odum Award - Lifetime Achievement

The Odum Award is named for the three outstanding ecological scientists in the Odum family: Howard T. Odum; Eugene P. Odum; and William E. Odum, III. This award recognizes the lifetime achievements of an outstanding estuarine scientist whose sustained accomplishments have made important contributions to our understanding of estuaries and coastal ecosystems.

1997 Donald Pritchard, Johns Hopkins University

1999 John Teal, Woods Hole Oceanographic Institute

2001 Lawrence Pomeroy, University of Georgia

2003 Scott Nixon, University of Rhode Island

2005 John Hobbie, Marine Biological Laboratory

2007 Grace Brush, Johns Hopkins University

2009 Walter Boynton and Michael Kemp, University of Maryland

2011 Hans W. Paerl, University of North Carolina Chapel Hill

2013 Ivan Valiela, Marine Biological Laboratory

2015 Joy Zedler, University of Wisconsin

2017 James E. Cloern, US Geological Survey

2019 Iris Anderson, Virginia Institute of Marine Science and College of William & Mary

2021 Robert J. Orth, Virginia Institute of Marine Science and College of William & Mary; Kenneth L. Heck Jr., Dauphin Island Sea Lab & University of South Alabama

Cronin Award - Early Achievement

The Cronin Award is named for L. Eugene Cronin, Sr., the first president of ERF and a significant contributor to estuarine science and our organization. This award recognizes the significant accomplishments of an estuarine scientist who is in the early stages of his/her career development. The recipient will have shown great promise with work carried out during the first six years past the PhD.

1997 Samantha Joye, University of Georgia

1999 Bradley Eyre, Southern Cross University

2001 Jaye Ellen Cable, Louisiana State University

2003 Lisa Lucas, US Geological Survey

2005 Peter Raymond, Yale School of Forestry

2007 Elizabeth North, University of Maryland

2009 Malcolm Scully, Old Dominion University

2011 Isaac R. Santos, Southern Cross University

2013 Robinson "Wally" Fulweiler, Boston University

2015 Autumn Oczkowski, US Environmental Protection Agency

2017 Damien Maher, Southern Cross University

2019 Christine Angelini, University of Florida

2021 Hamed Moftakhari, The University of Alabama

Pritchard Award - Physical Oceanography Paper

This award was established to honor Donald W. Pritchard, whose insightful research on the physical dynamics of coastal systems set the stage for much of the research in physical oceanography that is being conducted today. The Pritchard Award recognizes the author(s) of the best physical oceanography paper published in Estuaries and Coasts within the two-year interval between CERF conferences.

2003
W. Rockwell Geyer, Jonathan D. Woodruff, and Peter A. Traykovski, WHOI

2005
Parker MacCready, University of Washington, Seattle

2007
Lisa Lucas, USGS, Menlo Park; D.M. Sereno, UC Berkeley; J.R. Burau, USGS, Sacaramento; T.S. Schraga, USGS, Menlo Park; C.B. Lopez, NOAA, Silver Spring; M.T. Stacey, UC Berkeley; K.V. Parchevsky, Stanford U., Stanford; and V.P. Parchevsky, Inst. Biol. Southern Seas, Ukraine

2009
Jon French, University College London; Helene Burningham, University College London; Thomas Benson, HR Wallingford Ltd, Oxon, UK

2011
Stephen G. Monismith, Stanford University; James L. Hench, Duke University; Derek A. Fong, Stanford University; Nicholas J. Nidzieko, University of Maryland; William E. Fleenor, University of California, Davis; Laura P. Doyle, University of California, Davis; S. Geoffrey Schladow, University of California, Davis

2013
Neil K.Ganju, U.S. Geological Survey; Melanie Hayn, Cornell University; Shih-Nan Chen, National Taiwan University; Robert W. Howarth, Cornell University; Patrick J. Dickhudt, USGS; Alfredo L. Aretxabaleta, USGS; and Roxanne Marino, Cornell University

2015
Jennifer Hansen, University of Virginia; Matthew Reidenbach, University of Virginia

2017
David K. Ralston, WHOI; Michael L. Brosnahan, WHOI; Sophia E. Fox, National Park Service; Krista D. Lee, National Park Service; Donald M. Anderson, WHOI

2019
Robert J. Chant, Rutgers University; Christopher K. Sommerfield, University of Delaware; Stefan A. Talke, Portland State University

2021
Margaret A. McKeon, University of Washington; Alexander Horner-Devine, University of Washington; Sarah N. Giddings, Scripps Institutions of Oceanography, UCSD

William A. Niering Outstanding Educator Award

To recognize the central role that education plays in achieving the objectives of our society, the Federation's Governing Board established an award named for a leader in estuarine education, William A. Niering. The Award is for an individual who has played a particularly important role in education at any level -- from primary school to the graduate level, inside or out of the classroom, or in the education of the general public through outreach activities.

2001 Joy Zedler, University of Wisconsin

2003 John Day, Louisiana State University

2005 Ivan Valiela, Marine Biological Laboratory

2007 Alejandro Yáñez-Arancibia, Institute of Ecology A.C., Mexico

2009 Scott Warren, Connecticut College

2011 Linda Walters, University of Central Florida

2013 Paul Montagna, Texas A&M University-Corpus Christi

2015 Peggy Fong, UCLA

2017 Drew Talley, University of San Diego

2019 Susan Bell, University of South Florida

2021 Katharyn Boyer, San Francisco State University

Margaret A. Davidson Award for Stewardship

This award recognizes an individual that demonstrates extraordinary leadership, service, innovation, and commitment to the management of estuarine and coastal systems. This award also recognizes those who have worked in the estuarine and coastal arena and excelled in management and policy.

2017 William Dennison, University of Maryland Center for Environmental Science

2019 Merryl Alber, Unversity of Georgia

2021 Christine Baumann Feurt, Wells National Estuarine Research Reserve

Coastal Stewardship Award for Stewardship (Organization)

CERF established the Coastal Stewardship Award to honor notable achievements in promoting the wise management of estuarine and coastal systems. This award recognizes specific projects, programs and organizations for their exemplary stewardship activities, including success in management, policy, restoration, and conservation efforts. CERF appreciates the multiple scales at which impacts may be achieved; accordingly, the Coastal Stewardship Awards are occasional awards and may represent a hierarchy of recognition at CERF biennial conferences. If given, one or more awards of recognition could be presented biennially in association with the CERF conferences, beginning in 2017.

2017 Tampa Bay Nitrogen Management Consortium of Tampa Bay NEP

2021 Buzzards Bay Coalition

Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Justice Award

This award recognizes the significant contributions of an individual who has worked for greater diversity, equity, inclusion, and justice in estuarine and coastal science, management, education, and/or stewardship. It honors a person who demonstrates exceptional long-term or emerging leadership and commitment to positive change.

2021 Ashanti Johnson, East Central University & STEM Human Resource Development

Distinguished Service Award

The Distinguished Service Award recipient is selected by the CERF President for their exceptional volunteer service to the Federation.

1993 Robert J. Orth and Jerome Williams

1995 L. Harold Stevenson

1997 James Sanders

1999 Anne Miller

2001 Joy Bartholomew

2003 Walter R. Boynton

2005 Scott Nixon

2007 Linda Schaffner and Stephen Threlkeld

2009 Carolyn Keefe