The Coastal Society recognizes people who have made a significant contribution to coastal management and to the Society.
- The Coastal Society recognizes excellence in service to coastal management with its Outstanding Service Award.
- The Distinguished Service Award is given for dedication to the Society.
- The President’s Award is given to someone whose service to The Coastal Society has been exemplary.
- The Robert W. Knecht Award for Professional Promise is given to a rising professional in the field of coastal and ocean management who best emulates the vigor, dedication, vision and generosity of Robert W. Knecht.
- Student Awards are given for the best oral presentation and the best poster at the Society’s biennial conference.
- Honorary Membership can be awarded by the TCS Board to an outstanding individual who has made an extraordinary contribution to TCS and/or the field of Coastal and Ocean Management, Conservation, Education.
Award Recipients
Outstanding Service Award
| 2024 | Jeff Benoit Director NOAA’s Office of Ocean and Coastal Resources Management; President and CEO of Restore America’s Estuaries; retired |
| 2023 | Tony MacDonald CEO, Urban Coast Institute at Monmouth University Geno Olmi Coordinator, NOAA Southeast and Caribbean Regional Collaboration Team |
| 2022 | Chad Nelson Surfrider Foundation |
| 2021 | Rick Devoe Executive Director, South Carolina Sea Grant Consortium, retired |
| 2020 | Michelle Covi Assistant Professor in Practice, Ocean, Earth and Atmospheric Sciences, Old Dominion University |
| 2019 | Jill Meyer Division Director, Ocean & Coastal Services, Lynker Technologies |
| 2016 | Thomas E. Bigford Policy Director, American Fisheries Society, retired |
| 2012 | Mike Orbach Professor, Duke University Nicholas School of the Environment; former Director, Duke Marine Laboratory; President of TCS 1996-1998 |
| 2010 | Maurice P. Lynch Professor Emeritus, Virginia Institute of Marine Science, President of TCS 1984-1985 |
| 2008 | Robert J. Bailey Manager, Oregon Coastal Management Program |
| 2006 | Thomas R. Kitsos Joint Ocean Commission Initiative, former Executive Director, U. S. Commission on Ocean Policy |
| 2002 | Paul L. Kelly Joint Ocean Commission Initiative, Commissioner, U. S. Commission on Ocean Policy, and President of the Gulf of Mexico Foundation Marc J. Hershman Commissioner, U. S. Commission on Ocean Policy, Director and Professor, University of Washington School of Marine Affairs, and President of TCS 1981-1982 |
Distinguished Service Award
| 2024 | Jefferson F. Flood Senior Coastal Planner, Virginia Coastal Management Program |
| 2023 | Steve MacLeod Environmental Scientist, WSP USA |
| 2022 | Kim Grubert WSP Meg Reed Oregon DLCD |
| 2021 | Tricia Hooper Regional Coastal Management Specialist, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration |
| 2020 | Caitlyn McCrary Sr. Communications Specialist, Lynker Technologies NOAA OCM |
| 2019 | Thomas E. Bigford Policy Director, American Fisheries Society, retired |
| 2016 | Maurice P. Lynch Professor Emeritus, Virginia Institute of Marine Science, President of TCS 1984-1985 |
| 2014 | Lisa Schiavinato President of TCS 2011-2012, 2014; Law and Policy Specialist for North Carolina Sea Grant and Co-Director of the NC Coastal Resources Law, Planning and Policy Center Jeff Smith Past TCS Treasurer; NOAA |
| 2012 | Ellen Gordon Environmental Writer, Editor, TCS Bulletin |
| 2010 | Laurie Jodice Clemson University Travel and Tourism Institute |
| 2008 | Robert Goodwin Coastal Resources Specialist, Washington Sea Grant Program and Affiliate Associate Professor, University of Washington School of Marine Affairs |
| 2006 | Judy Tucker Executive Director, The Coastal Society |
| 2002 | Nick Lampson U. S. House of Representatives (Galveston, TX area) Megan Bailiff TCS President 1999-2000 and financial contributor Laurie Jodice Clemson University Travel and Tourism Institute |
Robert W. Knecht Award for Professional Promise
| 2024 | Riley Lewis White Oak Waterkeeper for Coastal Carolina Riverwatch |
| 2023 | Sabrina Pereira Marine Habitat Resource Specialist, NOAA Fisheries’ Greater Atlantic Regional Fisheries Office Ashley Gordon Dewberry |
| 2022 | Adrian Laufer Sea and Shore Solutions |
| 2021 | Emily Patrolia Founder and President, ESP Advisors |
| 2020 | Brittany Pashkow Duke University Chapter of The Coastal Society |
| 2019 | Tricia Hooper Policy Program Analyst, The Baldwin Group, Inc., on contract with NOAA OCM |
| 2016 | Kasey Jacobs |
| 2014 | Caitlyn McCrary former TCS Communications Committee Chair; Senior Communication Specialist, NOAA OCM |
| 2012 | Julia Wyman Staff Attorney, Marine Affairs Institute & Rhode Island Sea Grant Legal Program, Roger Williams University School of Law |
| 2010 | Tali MacArthur Coastal Resource Specialist, New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection’s Coastal Management Program |
| 2008 | Lisa Schiavinato Law and Policy Specialist for North Carolina Sea Grant and Co-Director of the NC Coastal Resources Law, Planning and Policy Center |
| 2006 | Kate T. Killerlain-Morrison Marine Program Director, The Nature Conservancy Massachusetts Chapter |
Honorary Membership
| 2023 | Thomas E. Bigford Policy Director, American Fisheries Society, retired Mo Lynch Virginia Institute of Marine Science, College of William and Mary, retired |
President’s Award
| 2024 | Emily Vuxton The Nature Conservancy of Louisiana Alexis Maxwell NOAA National Ocean Service Program Coordination Officer |
| 2023 | Communications Committee led by Alexis Maxwell Judy Tucker Executive Director, The Coastal Society |
| 2022 | Jeff Flood Virginia Coastal Zone Management Program All Swell? Podcast TCS Duke Chapter and TCS ECU Chapter |
| 2021 | Thomas E. Bigford Policy Director, American Fisheries Society, retired |
| 2020 | Vanessa Meer Environmental Consultant |
| 2019 | Duke University Student Chapter Kim Grubert Ocean and Coastal Planner, Chesapeake & Coastal Service, Maryland Department of Natural Resources |
| 2016 | Michelle Covi Assistant Professor of Practice, Old Dominion University and VA Sea Grant Program Claire Enterline Coastal and Marine Science Coordinator, Maine Coastal Program Caitlyn McCrary former TCS Communications Committee Chair; Senior Communication Specialist, NOAA OCM |
| 2014 | Chris Ellis Board of Directors, NOAA OCM Brian Smith Board of Directors, NCSU Research and Development Office |
| 2012 | Rick DeVoe Executive Director, South Carolina Sea Grant Consortium Paul Ticco Monitor National Marine Sanctuary, NOAA Office of Marine Sanctuaries |
| 2010 | Kevin McLean Coastal MediaWorks |
| 2008 | Susan White Acting Deputy Director NOAA National Centers for Coastal Ocean Science at the Hollings Marine Laboratory and Center of Excellence in Oceans and Human Health Christine Patrick NOAA National Marine Fisheries Service Habitat Protection Division |
| 2006 | Gib L. Chase U. S. Fish & Wildlife Service Division of Planning John Duff Associate Professor, University of Massachusetts Boston, President of TCS 2003-2004 |
| 2002 | Ron Hodson Director, North Carolina Sea Grant Program Kristen M. Fletcher Director, Mississippi-Alabama Sea Grant Legal Program and Director, National Sea Grant Law Center |
Student Awards
| 2021 | Thomas E. Bigford Student Poster Award: Best Student Poster – Nichole Pehl College of Charleston Thomas E. Bigford Student Poster Award: Second-Place Student Poster – Ellis Kalaidjian University of Rhode Island |
| 2019 | Thomas E. Bigford Student Poster Award: Best Student Poster – Benjamin Sweeney University of Rhode Island Thomas E. Bigford Student Poster Award: Second-Place Student Poster – Erin Peck Oregon State University |
| 2014 | Thomas E. Bigford Student Paper Award – Katherine Johnson University of Maryland Thomas E. Bigford Student Poster Award – Andrew Dolan Sacred Heart University Sea Grant Association Student Presentation Award – Rachel Gittman University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill Sea Grant Association Student Poster Award – Chandra Richards University of California-Berkeley |
| 2012 | Thomas E. Bigford Student Paper Award – Jolvan Morris Florida A&M University Thomas E. Bigford Student Poster Award – Michael Flynn Richard Stockton College of NJ Sea Grant Association Student Presentation Award – Clara Ruben University of Rhode Island |
| 2010 | Thomas E. Bigford Student Paper Award – Jack Kittinger University of Hawaii Thomas E. Bigford Student Poster Award – Megan Fowler Vermont Law School Sea Grant Association Student Presentation Award – Sathya Gopalakrishnan Duke University |
| 2008 | Thomas E. Bigford Student Paper Award – Diana Pietri University of Washington Thomas E. Bigford Student Poster Award – Jenna Borber Oregon State University Sea Grant Association Student Presentation Award – Amanda Argentieri Roger Williams University School of Law |
| 2006 | Thomas E. Bigford Student Paper Award – Jacquai Harris Florida A&M University Thomas E. Bigford Student Poster Award – Kirsten Evans University of Washington Sea Grant Association Student Presentation Award – Kate Litle University of Washington |
| 2004 | Thomas E. Bigford Student Paper Award – Melissa S. Andersen University of Washington Thomas E. Bigford Student Poster Award – Elizabeth Stephenson University of Maine Sea Grant Association Student Presentation Award – Helene Scalliet University of Washington Sea Grant Association Student Presentation Award – Kristine Harrington University of California at Santa Barbara |
| 2002 | Thomas E. Bigford Student Paper Award – Jammabar Maltezi University of Tirana, Albania Thomas E. Bigford Student Poster Award – Gayle Albers University of Georgia Sea Grant Association Student Presentation Award – Braxton Davis University of Rhode Island |