A history and overview of the American Association of Stratigraphic Palynologists (AASP)

The American Association of Stratigraphic Palynologists (AASP) is a relatively small international scientific organization dedicated to the furtherance of palynology. It is based in the U.S.A., but has a global membership. This contribution is a companion paper to a work on the early history (1967–1970) of the organization. The Association was born as a direct result of the rapid expansion of stratigraphic palynology in the oil industry, but then and now it has embraced all applications of organic microfossils and their modern counterparts. Following the inaugural meeting AASP had a membership of around 40; it now stands at just over 500. The maximum membership was approximately 1000 in 1987. AASP collaborates with other scientific bodies and has an extensive range of publications. The Association runs a comprehensive and widely-perused website, organises annual meetings, and gives several types of awards to deserving professional and student palynologists. The most ambitious project of the Association was the establishment of The AASP Center for Excellence in Palynology (CENEX) at Louisiana State University. For a small independent society, AASP has achieved much in its short history and has attained its stated intentions of promoting the science of palynology beyond its expectations.