Edward DeMartini was born in San Francisco, California in 1946.His father died when he was four years old, and he was introduced to fishing when he was six by his cousin who acted as a surrogate father at the time. Ed says he was a natural historian at a young age and credits his mother with giving him the latitude to be an avid explorer and sparking his early interest in fish. Ed graduated with a degree in biology from the University of San Francisco in 1968, and a Master’s in Biological Oceanography in 1970. He got his PhD in zoology in 1975 at the University of Washington studying under Bob Paine. He was a research professor at University of California Santa Barbara for 10 years before relocating to Hawaii to work in the Western Pacific for the National Marine Fisheries Service.

Interview contains discussions of: bottom fish, pelagic, insular related research, age and growth, reproduction, coral reef, reef fish, otoliths, technology changes in age and growth studies, bomb radiocarbon, impact of climate change.

Edward DeMartini discusses his philosophies and approach to looking at the growth and reproduction of reef fish, bottom fish, and swordfish; as well as coral reef ecology in the Western Pacific. He also discusses technical advances and research techniques, advancements in sampling methods, politics and resources as barriers to research, changes in the NMFS working environment, effects of global warming and acidification, and predictions for the future of his field.