Turtle Excluder Device Oral Histories

  • Collection DOI:
    Principal Investigator:
    Lekelia Jenkins
  • Partnering with the Maritime and Seafood Industry Museum in Biloxi, Mississippi and various Sea Grant programs, this project collects and preserves early 1980s Turtle Excluder Device (TED) oral histories from the inventors of early TEDs, the NOAA Fisheries and Sea Grant personnel central to the development of TEDs, and local shrimpers about their experiences using the early TEDs.

Interviewee Collection Sort descending Description Interviewer Date of Interview Location of Interview Affiliation
Andrew Kemmerer Turtle Excluder Device Oral Histories

Dr. Andrew J. Kemmerer was born on February 11, 1938, in Bryan, Texas. In his early youth, Kemmerer lived in College Station, Texas, eventually moving to Tucson, Arizona at six years old.  Kemmerer spent most of his childhood at his Tucson home and quickly developed an adoration for the outdoors. He spent his summers working with the Arizona Game & Fish Department, the Parks Service, and several other employers that allowed him to work outside. In 1960, Kemmerer graduated from the University of Arizona with a Bachelor of Science Degree in Wildlife Management.

Stephanie Scull-DeArmey Brandon, MS Maritime and Seafood Industry Museum, University of Southern Mississippi
Michael Weber Turtle Excluder Device Oral Histories

Interview with Michael Weber, born November 2, 1949 in Hawthorne, California.  At the time of the interview, Weber was a program officer for the Resources Legacy Fund.  In this interview, he discusses aspects of sea turtle conservation and issues surrounding the implementation of bycatch reduction devices. Redondo Beach

Stephanie Scull-DeArmey Redondo Beach, CA Maritime and Seafood Industry Museum, University of Southern Mississippi
Tom McIlwain Turtle Excluder Device Oral Histories

Biographical Sketch

Stephanie Scull-DeArmey Ocean Springs, MS Maritime and Seafood Industry Museum, University of Southern Mississippi
John Mitchell Turtle Excluder Device Oral Histories

John Mitchell was born October 29, 1955, in Chicago Heights, Illinois.  He is a Unit Leader for the Harvesting Systems Unit, NOAA Fisheries, Southeast Fishery Science Center, Mississippi Laboratories. Mitchell started out working as a fisheries technician at the Pascagoula laboratory in 1981, working as a fisheries observer on Japanese longliners that were fishing in the Gulf of Mexico for tuna. He would ride the boats for months. He would sometimes transfer from one boat to another at sea.

Stephanie Scull-DeArmey Pascagoula, MS Maritime and Seafood Industry Museum, University of Southern Mississippi
Sonny Morrison Turtle Excluder Device Oral Histories

Interview with Sonny Morrison born in 1923 in McClellenville, South Carolina. Interview contains information on the introduction of Turtle Excluder Devices and Mr. Morrison's own experiences in the shrimp fisheries.

Stephanie Scull-DeArmey McClellanville, SC Maritime and Seafood Industry Museum, University of Southern Mississippi