Oral history interview with Ethan Schmidt, Sea Cadet and Astrophysicist.  Engineer on a Gas Line and multiple ships out at sea. 

Subjects/Topics:
Life of Ethan Schmidt, Life as a sea cadet, Life as a engine cadet, NOAA, Bouchard Transportation, Good/Bad Effects of The Sea.

On April 21, 2020, Tanner Kern interviewed Hans Laufer in Essex, Connecticut, for the Maritime Studies Capstone Seminar Oral History Project. Laufer recounts his early life in Germany, including his family’s forced emigration following Kristallnacht in 1938. He describes the challenges of adjusting to life in New York, his education at Stuyvesant High School, and the development of his interest in biology and aquaculture.

Oral history interview with : Len Sawyer, resident of Mystic, Connecticut, retired lobsterman from the long Island Sound.

Recording format/notes: Recorded phone interview digitally, using one phone on speaker to talk, and another phone to record to the app “Voice memos”. Recorded at my computer desk at home while on the phone. Phone interview necessary during Coronavirus, otherwise, it would have been a physical face-to-face interview.

• Associate Professor at UCONN Avery Point in Maritime English
• Lead Foreman of the Mystic Seaport Museum’s Demonstration Squad
• Prominent Herman Melville Scholar

• Grew up in inland MA, but had a house is Warham
• After he graduated he took an internship with the Marine Biological Labs in Woods Hole
• Took and VW bus and got a job with the University of Washington Research Ship as part of the deck crew

On May 6, 2020, Cassidy Martin interviewed Kelly Shannon for the Maritime Studies Capstone Seminar Oral History Project. Kelly Shannon is an environmental analyst with the Department of Agriculture's Bureau of Aquaculture. Shannon’s work is focused on shellfish management, encompassing tasks such as water quality testing, shellfish meat analysis, and pollution source identification. She works closely with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, state and local health departments, and other relevant agencies to ensure consumers' safety of shellfish products.

Sylvain De Guise is an academic and researcher specializing in marine spatial planning. His career includes significant contributions to developing and implementing environmental management plans, notably the Blue Plan for Long Island Sound. De Guise's expertise lies in understanding and documenting natural resources and human activities within marine environments. His work often involves engaging with stakeholders to create comprehensive, data-driven plans that balance ecological preservation with sustainable development.

Todd Bragdon is a resident of Danielson, Connecticut and has been a commercial fishermen since 1982 out of Alaska, Connecticut, and Massachusetts, Owner/Operator Oneonta Fisheries Inc. Todd born on April 23, 1964, in Windham, Connecticut, spent his early years on a hog farm in Scotland, Connecticut. His family moved to Iowa when he was two years old, but returned to Connecticut in 1968.

On April 28, 2020, Christopher Rice interviewed Zachary Howe for the Maritime Studies Capstone Seminar Oral History Project. Howe, a resident of Ledyard, Connecticut, was born in 1988 and grew up in Frankfort, Indiana. His military career brought him to Connecticut, where he has lived for the past fourteen years following his enlistment in the U.S. Navy. The interview provides an overview of Howe's family background, military career, and personal experiences. Howe discusses his upbringing, mentioning that he was primarily raised by his mother, aunts, and grandmother.