Conferences

Nominations for 2022 ASBPA Professional and Project Awards will open May 10, 2022 and close August 1, 2022. Winners will be announced at the National Coastal Conference.

The Morrough P. O’Brien Award is presented annually to an individual or organizational member of ASBPA on the basis of 1) an outstanding record in achieving the objectives and ideals of ASBPA; or 2) for major direct contributions to ASBPA. Any ASBPA member can submit a nomination that outlines the accomplishments of the nominee and the basis upon which the nomination is being put forth. The winner will be invited to attend the National Coastal Conference from September 13–16.

The Robert L. Wiegel Coastal Project Award is presented in recognition to a coastal project that has stood the test of time and has shown a positive environmental, social, or recreational benefit. Nominations must include a statement of objectives of the project and the major design features; evidence that the project achieved the desired objectives with a minimum of five years since completion; the environmental, social, recreational and other effects of the project should be described; a statement identifying the agencies and individuals responsible for planning, designing and constructing the work and the individuals that will receive the award; and the cost of the project. The award will be presented at the 2022 ASBPA National Coastal Conference held on September 13-16.

The Robert G. Dean Coastal Academic Award is presented in recognition of an academic who has made significant contributions furthering the community’s understanding of coastal science or engineering and in fostering young coastal scientists or engineers. The award will be presented at the ASBPA 2022 annual meeting.

The ASBPA Member of the Year Award is an award to be presented annually to an individual on the basis of their giving of time, talent, and treasury to furthering the goals and objectives of the ASBPA during the previous year. The winner will be presented the award at the 2022 annual meeting.

The ASBPA Rising Star Award is an award to be presented annual to a student or new professional who has taken on leadership role to further the goals and objectives of the ASBPA during the previous year.  The winner will be presented with the award at the ASBPA 2021 annual meeting.

The Gooderham Media Award will be given to an individual journalist or media outlet for exceptional coverage of coastal news.

Entries for all awards closes August 1. Please submit nominations at asbpa.org/about-us/awards-program/

The conference hotel will be the Westin Long Beach. To receive the conference rate, please click the appropriate link below.

Hotel room bookings (non-government rate) click here

Hotel room bookings for government rate (ID will need to be presented at check-in)

Registration is now open!  We are excited to use the Whova App again for our National Coastal Conference and will be using it for our registration process.  Please click the link below to register.  Please note that the first early registration rate ends on August 1, 2022.  We look forward to seeing you in September!

IMPORTANT: If you need to pay by check, please complete the registration process and enter Discount code, “paybycheck” and staff will be in contact to complete the transaction.  No other discounts are available at this time.

Click here to register for the 2022 National Coastal Conference!

Sponsorship Opportunities are now available.  Please use our form below to register for a sponsorship or contact managing@asbpa.org with questions.

A list of sponsorship opportunities can be found by clicking this link.

Click here to sign-up for a sponsorship.

Applications for 2022 ASBPA Student Awards open May 10 and close August 1.

The American Shore & Beach Preservation Association (ASBPA) is accepting nominations for the 2022 National Coastal Conference Student Awards including the ASBPA Student Educational Award, the James Houston Coastal Economics Scholar Award, the Nicholas Kraus Coastal Scholar Award and the Student Coastal Advocate Award.

The ASBPA Student Educational Award is presented annually to an undergraduate or graduate student who, through their research, is furthering the science of coastal or riverine systems as it relates to the goals and mission of the ASBPA.

The award includes a $500 cash stipend and it is expected that the Educational Award winner will give a presentation on their paper topic for the 2022 ASBPA National Coastal Conference (for which the registration fee will be waived) to present his or her findings to the coastal community. Additionally, the winner is strongly encouraged to submit their award nomination paper for peer review by the editorial staff of Shore & Beach, the ASBPA’s technical journal, and possible inclusion in a future issue.

Entries must consist of a curriculum vita and paper suitable for presentation and publication (for non-electronic submissions, please provide five hard copies of the entire nomination package). Any subject pertaining to coastal or riverine science is eligible for consideration. Representative subject areas include natural processes (waves, currents sediment transport), ecology (habitat, ecosystem function), water quality (pollution sources, remedies), economics (cost/benefits of beach projects) and human impact on the coast (coastal structures, dams, restoration projects). The paper may include figures, tables, and photographs and should not exceed 10 pages in length, single-spaced, including references.

The James Houston Coastal Economics Scholar Award is given annually to an undergraduate or graduate student who, through their research, is furthering the state of beach coastal or riverine economics as it relates to the goals and mission of the ASBPA.   The subject matter is encouraged to be as wide reaching as possible, including economic benefits of beach restoration, benefit cost analysis of beach restoration projects and any other research that includes benefits derived from beach, dune, riverine, and coastal restoration projects.  This award includes a $500.00 cash stipend and will be awarded to the student at either the ASBPA annual meeting or the ASBPA Coastal Summit.

The Nicholas Kraus Coastal Scholar Award is presented annually to a graduate student who aspires to advance their  knowledge and experience of coastal or riverine science through an internship with ASBPA. The winner will become the dedicated staff member for the ASBPA’s Science and Technology Committee. The Coastal Scholar will work hand-in-hand with practicing coastal experts to develop technical position papers with the Committee; and serve as the liaison for ASBPA with other graduate students in coastal and riverine sciences. The Coastal Scholar will work from their home institution and will participate with the ASBPA via conference calls and email. In addition to the experience of working with coastal experts, the award includes a $600 cash stipend paid in quarterly payments of $150.

Award winner will be announced during the 2022 ASBPA National Conference. Entries must include a curriculum vita and paper addressing why the candidate is interested in becoming the ASBPA’s Coastal Scholar. The paper should include previous experience, education, future goals, as well as expectations of the Coastal Scholar Award position. The paper should not exceed five pages in length, single-spaced.

The Student Coastal Advocate Award is presented to a graduate or undergraduate student who aspires to advance their knowledge of and experience in federal coastal policy and advocacy through an internship with ASBPA. The winner will become the dedicated staff member for the ASBPA’s Government Affairs Committee. The Student Advocate will work hand-in-hand with practicing coastal experts to develop policy position papers with the Committee and participate in advocacy efforts seeking to influence federal policy via agencies or Congress. The Coastal Advocate will work from their home institution and will participate with the ASBPA via conference calls and email. In addition to the experience of working with coastal experts, the award includes a $600 cash stipend paid in quarterly payments of $150.

Award winner must attend the 2023 ASBPA Coastal Summit, in Washington, DC (for which the registration fee will be waived) to receive the award.  Entries must include a resume or curriculum vita, a paper addressing why the candidate is interested in becoming the ASBPA’s Student Coastal Advocate, and contact information for two professional references (either academic or work related). The paper should include previous experience, education, future goals, as well as expectations of the Student Coastal Advocate position. The paper should not exceed two pages in length, single-spaced.

The deadline for ASBPA Student Educational Award, the James Houston Coastal Economics Scholar Award, the Nicholas Kraus Coastal Scholar Award and the Student Coastal Advocate is August 1, 2022. Please submit nominations at asbpa.org/about-us/awards-program/

The 2022 National Coastal Conference Fact Sheet is available by clicking here.

This course discusses three major pitfalls in the design of coastal engineering projects and introduces approaches to safeguard against the associated risks. The design risks are related to the following concepts: (1) Design wave height; (2) Sediment transport; and (3) Design methodology.  Participants will need to complete quizzes, two of which require application of simple, publicly available software to perform preliminary calculations and make design judgments to confirm an understanding of the design risks.

Engineering With Nature® on Tuesday, September 13^th from 1 p.m. until 5 p.m.

Engineering With Nature® (EWN), in partnership with Coastal Zone Foundation, is leading a four-hour course on designing natural-based infrastructure for increased coastal resilience. The course will include 6-7 technical presentations (see below) that cover a broad range of topics which cover quantifying environmental benefits associated with natural infrastructure (NI), strategies for designing NI, identifying existing NI and NI opportunities, and the state-of-the-art in NI practices; innovative engineering and operational procedures, modeling, benefits quantification, and strategic communications.

Both courses are hosted by the Coastal Zone Foundation.  Contact coastalzonefoundation@gmail.com for more information.