Dr. Carolyn Currin began her tenure at NOAA's Beaufort Lab in 1983, initially serving as a technician under Dr. Jud Kenworthy. Her career trajectory saw her later collaborating with Dr. Peter Hanson on the Status and Trends Program. In 1986, she pursued a Ph.D. at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, conducting her dissertation research at the UNC-Institute of Marine Science in Morehead City, NC. Her research concentrated on the recovery and restoration of salt marshes. After completing her doctorate, Dr.

Richard "Dick" Stone, a native of Virginia Beach, Virgina, has dedicated his life to environmental research and conservation. He completed his Bachelor's Degree at Virginia Military Institute. He pursued a Master's Degree at William and Mary, further honing his expertise. Dick joined the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service's Sandy Hook Lab, where he spent 8-1/2 years contributing to important research and conservation efforts.  In 1972, Dick embarked on a new phase of his career when he transferred to NOAA's Beaufort Lab.

• Born and raised in Raleigh, NC
• Graduated from North Carolina State University with Bachelors and Masters Degrees in Biology
• Drafted by the US Army
• Employed as Fisheries Biologist at the Beaufort Lab 1961-1989

Dr. Doug Wolfe, a highly accomplished scientist, dedicated several years of his career to the Beaufort Laboratory, making significant contributions as a Chemist/Fishery Biologist. Born and raised in Ohio, he nurtured a deep fascination for the natural world from a young age. Doug pursued his academic aspirations at Ohio State University, where he obtained a Bachelor's degree in Zoology and later a Graduate degree in Biochemistry. In 1964, Doug joined the Beaufort Lab.

Ann Rose grew up in Harkers Island, NC where her father, Chief Ira Lewis, served in the Coast Guard. Her family lived in New York for a period while her father worked at various lifeboat stations, and they later resided at Montauk Lighthouse. After her father's retirement, they returned to Harkers Island, where Ann met her husband and started working at the Beaufort Lab in 1962 where she was employed as an Editorial Assistant until 1995. 

Scope and Content Note

• Born in Beaufort, NC; raised on Pivers Island (site of the Beaufort Laboratory)
• Herb’s father, Dr. Herbert Prythrech, was Director of the Beaufort Laboratory, 1933-1949
• Graduated from East Carolina University and also served in the US Army
• Worked for the NMFS, formerly the U.S. Bureau of Commercial Fisheries, as a port agent and fishery reporting specialist in TX, SC, GA, and Miami; retired from NMFS in 1994

Dr. John V. Merriner, originally from Winchester, Virginia, has dedicated his career to the field of fisheries. He obtained his Bachelor's degree in Psychology from Rutgers University in 1964. John pursued higher education at North Carolina State University, where he earned both his Master's degree in 1967 and his Ph.D. in Fisheries in 1973. From 1970 to 1982, John was employed at the Virginia Institute of Marine Science. In 1982, he joined the staff at the NMFS Beaufort Laboratory, taking on the role of Fisheries Division Chief.

• John grew up in Pennsylvania and received his Master’s degree in the early 1950s from Bucknell University
• He worked for about five years in the early 1950s as an oyster biologist for the State of Maryland near Annapolis
• He was hired as a fishery biologist with the Radiobiological Laboratory at the Beaufort Laboratory in 1955
• Retired from the Beaufort Laboratory in 1975
• John was 98 years old when he recorded this interview

Dr. Gordon Thayer, a renowned Fishery Biologist, has made substantial contributions to the field of fisheries research and management. He obtained a Master's degree from the University of Delaware and later pursued his Ph.D. at North Carolina State University. In 1968, Gordon joined the Beaufort Lab, where he dedicated over three decades to the study of fisheries. Gordon was instrumental in establishing the Seagrass Program at the Beaufort Laboratory in the late 1960s, contributing to the preservation and conservation of seagrass habitats. Dr.

• Raised in Maryland.
• Received her Bachelor’s and Graduate degrees in the 1970s from the University of Maryland at College Park, the latter under Dr. Eugenie Clark.
• While at College Park she volunteered at the Smithsonian and worked for Dr.