The International Pacific Marine Educators Network (IPMEN) was created at a meeting of marine educators and scientists from around the Pacific in Hawai’i in January 2007. This meeting resulted in the establishment of a Pacific-wide network that sets out to nurture and share the knowledge (both traditional and contemporary), expertise and resources required to foster a fuller understanding of the ocean’s value with the aim of creating informed and responsible communities who seek to conserve, manage and restore the integrity of ocean ecosystems in the Pacific.
IPMEN Vision Statement (as revised in 2010): To nurture a fuller understanding of the ocean’s value, leading to informed, responsible and creative decisions that seek to conserve and restore the integrity of the ocean’s ecosystems in the Pacific.
IPMEN Mission statement (as revised in 2010): To become a leader in fostering the collaborative relationships that will lead to creation of resources, programs, training, and leadership necessary to build ocean literacy at every level of society in the Pacific region.
From 2007 until the present the main IPMEN activities have been biennial international conferences. These conferences have been held at different locations around the Pacific and usually attract up to 100 international delegates. In September 2020 IPMEN held a web-based Facilitated Action Planning Forum and the current IPMEN Committee has used the results of this Forum and earlier survey results to develop an Action Plan that sets out a series of achievable actions for IPMEN over the next two to three years.
For a brief history of IPMEN is available in PowerPoint format at A brief history of IPMEN.
Latest IPMEN News (October 2021)
- IPMEN has hired Sylvia Spalding (Hawai’i) on October 1st as a temporary, part-time executive officer to implement IPMEN’s 2020 action plan. The action plan incorporates the recommendations of more than 30 marine educators within IPMEN and other marine educators’ associations worldwide who participated in a three-hour facilitated Strategy Forum on September 3, 2020, to offer their input on ways IPMEN can improve its effectiveness.
- IPMEN has also hired Natalie Davey (Australia) to coordinate IPMEN’s Pacific-wide virtual Talanoa (traditional knowledge story telling event) scheduled for early to mid 2022. Stay tuned for updates.
Latest IPMEN News (June 2021)
- The IPMEN 2021 conference planned for July 2021 in Hawai’i has been canceled. Details of this cancellation can be found at Frequently Asked Questions.
- The IPMEN Committee is currently developing plans for a Pacific-wide virtual Talanoa (traditional knowledge story telling event). Stay tuned to this website for updates.
- Please view this wonderful video put together by @planetaoceano for World Ocean Day 2020
- The International News and Events section of this website now has a list of International marine education conferences in 2021.