Crystal Jordan, 33 years old at the time of the interview, is the owner-operator of a blue crab and oyster vessel in Solomon's Island, MD. As the daughter of a fishermen, she grew up on the water, and took over her father's operation at the age of 20 when he passed away from cancer. Her vessel is called "Some Beach." 

Scope and Content Note

Matthew Peabody, 30 years old at the time of the interview, is a scallop boat captain out of Newport News, VA. He's the fourth generation in his family to work on the water. Matthew's family sold their fleet of scallop boats to Blue Harvest, a company that has expanded into a larger fleet. He now operates two scallop boats for that company, the Blue Canyon and the Blue Cove.

Scope and Content Note

Dustin Delano, 28 years old at the time of the interview, is owner-operator of the F/V Knotty Lady, a lobster boat out of Friendship, Maine. Dustin started fishing at age 11, the fourth generation in his family to follow this line of work. After taking a meandering path through higher education, he wound up back in his hometown doing what he loves: lobstering. He is one of several captains to capitalize on ecological changes by developing a menhaden seine fishery in Midcoast Maine.

Mike Blanton, 33 years old at the time of the interview, is a blue crab and gillnet fisherman in Elizabeth City, NC. Mike operates multiple vessels for different fisheries in the Albemarle Sound area. He started fishing as a teenager after taking a summer job at a crab house. After a decade in the military and government contracting, he returned to the coast to fish full-time.

Dustin Westman, 32 years old at the time of the interview, is a crab, oyster, and gillnet fisherman in Heathsville, Virginia. He started fishing with his dad at age 4, and by age 12, he had his own boat.

Scope and Content Note

Nicole Saunders, 20 years old at the time of the interview, oysters and charter fishes with her father in Weems, VA. With the exception of a semester of college, which didn't captivate her attention, Nicole has spent her entire life around the water. Nicole's family has a long history in the waterman profession, with her dad and his grandfather being watermen.

Scope and Content Note

Eben Nieuwkerk, 29 years old at the time of the interview, is the owner-operator of two gillnet and lobster boats in Portland and Kennebunkport, ME.

Scope and Content Note

Parker Poole, 31 years old at the time of the interview, runs a marine salvage and towing business and fishes commercially on the side in Portland, ME. Despite lobstering in high school, he did not log enough hours to meet the qualification criteria to receive a Maine lobster license, so he made the decision not to pursue his dream of becoming a full-time fisherman.

Gus Lovgren, 33 years old at the time of the interview, is a captain and crewmember on the F/V Kailey Ann in Point Pleasant, NJ. Gus is the fourth generation in his family to fish East Coast waters, but maybe not the last: his five-year-old daughter has dreams of carrying on the family legacy, someday.

Scope and Content Note

Patrick Fehily, 29 years old at the time of the interview, owns and manages several lobster, gillnet, and scallop boats in Point Pleasant, NJ. Pat did not grow up in a fishing family, but after working as a lobsterboat deckhand in high school and failing to light his spark at college, he decided that fishing was the life for him.