Louisiana Sea Grant Coastal Changes Oral History Project

  • Collection DOI:
    Principal Investigator:
    Roy Kron, Dianne Lindstedt
  • The goal of the project is to document through oral history how coastal changes like sea level rise, erosion, increased flooding, and disappearing wetlands are affecting the people and the culture in the region. 

Interviewee Sort descending Collection Description Interviewer Date of Interview Location of Interview Affiliation
Dewey Lehret Louisiana Sea Grant Coastal Changes Oral History Project

Interview with Dewey Lehret.

Carl Brasseaux, Don Davis Boudreaux Canal, LA Louisiana Sea Grant
Diane Karinas-Austin Louisiana Sea Grant Coastal Changes Oral History Project

The Karinas talk about their family's contribution to the seafood industry.  They talk about processing shrimp on the boats before shipping them to market.  They tell stories of their family members driving the shrimp to the markets and sometimes dodging the cops with their shipment.  They talk about shrimping seasons.  They talk about the shrimp market before and after WWII.  They talk about the Portuguese and their roles in the shrimp industry.  They talk about the progression of the oil industry.  They talk about hurricanes and their effect on the shrim

Carl Brasseaux, Don Davis Unknown Louisiana Sea Grant
Edward and Brad Robin Louisiana Sea Grant Coastal Changes Oral History Project

Edward and Brad Robin are two oyster fishermen from Yscloskey.  They explain the process of how to catch oysters and the technology and terms used in the trade.  They mentioned the problems since the BP Oil Spill and hardships and struggles to keep all of their employees.  They also discussed the pirate wars between Mississippi and Louisiana.  Edward described life after World War II when he started Robin’s Seafood and the modern changes to the way oysters are caught from when he started as a child.

Carl Brasseaux, Don Davis Yscloskey, LA Louisiana Sea Grant
Edward Robin Louisiana Sea Grant Coastal Changes Oral History Project

Edward Robin talks about his experience in the oyster industry in St. Bernard Parish.  He talks about the oyster drudge mechanism as well as the advancements in the oyster industry since he started out in 1947.  Robin discusses the new rules and regulations oyster fishermen must abide by.  He also discusses the oyster canning business and the various oyster canning facilities in Louisiana and Mississippi.  He talks about the detrimental effect that hurricanes have on oysters.  He also talks about crabbing, specifically the different stages of crabs.

Don Davis, Carl Brasseaux Yscloskey, LA Louisiana Sea Grant
Eugene Theriot Louisiana Sea Grant Coastal Changes Oral History Project

Interview with Eugene Theriot.  He discusses the shrimp factory, shrimp drying platforms, ice boats, hurricanes, canneries, manila village, fur trapping, oysters, seabreeze, kerosene, prohibition, storm of 1926, and shrimp strikes.

Paula Ouder, Roy Kron Intracoastal City, LA Louisiana Sea Grant
Frank Besson Louisiana Sea Grant Coastal Changes Oral History Project

Interview with Frank Besson of Grand Isle, Louisiana.

Earl Robichaux Grand Isle, LA Louisiana Sea Grant
Freddie Matherne Louisiana Sea Grant Coastal Changes Oral History Project

Freddie Matherne takes us on a trip around the bayous and coast of Louisiana in this interview about the changing coastline. He describes navigating the bayous and canals for shrimping, logging, fishing, and crabbing. With 50 years of experience shrimping, he details his process of catching and preserving the best shrimp through knowledge of the waters, cleanliness, boats, and attention to improvements in technology, like cell phones and GPS. Matherne also discusses his interactions with oil companies while shrimping and his work for shrimp drying platforms with his father at a young age.

Don Davis Montegut, LA Louisiana Sea Grant
Greg Lier Louisiana Sea Grant Coastal Changes Oral History Project

Interview with Cokie Rathborne and Greg Lier in Harvey Canal, Louisiana.

Carl Brasseaux, Don Davis, Roy Kron Harvey Canal, LA Louisiana Sea Grant
Houston Foret Louisiana Sea Grant Coastal Changes Oral History Project

Houston Foret discusses shrimp drying platforms and the sale of shrimp.  He talks about the other crops and shrimp seasons.  He tells about the different location of the platforms and how far each was from the coast.  Foret talks about other seafood markets in the area such as oysters.  He talks about the hurricanes and the levees.  He tells of people bringing whiskey into the coastal islands during prohibition.  He also discusses the canning trade and cans as well as the different types of boats and what they were used for.  He goes into detail on how to

Carl Brasseaux, Don Davis Chauvin, LA Louisiana Sea Grant
Jay Thornhill Louisiana Sea Grant Coastal Changes Oral History Project

Jodie Avail and Jay Thornhill discusses the origin and history of Dupuy’s Oyster Shop. They talk about the diversification of the menu and the oyster dealers.

Carl Brasseaux Abbeville, LA Louisiana Sea Grant