Roy Coats was born on January 31, 1914, in Ladora, Iowa. He graduated high school in Des Moines, Iowa, where his family moved after his father's business failed during the Great Depression. Coats enlisted in the Navy in 1933 after a prolonged waiting period and trained in San Diego. He served on the USS Chester and the USS Houston, both heavy cruisers. After his naval service, he transitioned to a civilian career and began working at Cal Ship on Terminal Island in February 1941, where he worked in shipbuilding during World War II. 

Roy J. Cootes was born on December 3, 1932, at the old San Pedro Hospital in California. He spent his childhood in San Pedro, where his father worked as a shop superintendent for the Atlas-Imperial Diesel Engine Company, and his mother was a homemaker. Cootes attended local schools, graduating from San Pedro High School in 1950, and later obtained a certificate in internal combustion engine technology from Los Angeles Harbor College. In 1953, he pursued a brief career in professional baseball, signing with the San Francisco Seals.

Rudy Svorinich Jr. was interviewed for the Port of Los Angeles Centennial Oral History Project. Born in May 1960 in San Pedro, California, Svorinich's family immigrated from the Dalmatian coast of Croatia in the 1920s, and they became deeply connected to the fishing industry and the San Pedro community. His family's ties to San Pedro go back several generations, with both his grandfather and great-grandfather being charter members of the longshoreman union. Throughout the interview, Svorinich reflects on the rich history of San Pedro and the Port of Los Angeles.

Dr. Russell Brown is a distinguished fisheries scientist with a Ph.D. in Fisheries from Michigan State University, as well as an M.S. in Fisheries and a B.S. in Fisheries and Wildlife Management from Cornell University. With over two decades of experience in the field, Dr. Brown has made significant contributions to fisheries research and management. Russell began his career in 1994 at the Northeast Fisheries Science Center, where he worked as a stock assessment biologist specializing in haddock and Gulf of Maine winter flounder.

Captain Russell Grinnell was born in 1907 in Woods Hole. His father, Charles R. Grinnell, was born in Fairhaven, Massachusetts, then moved with Russell's grandfather to Naushon Island off Woods Hole. Charles Grinnell was a fisherman and he and son Russell fished together, gathering quahogs and lobsters, dragging for flounder, depending on the season. This was first done from a 26 foot catboat and later a 42 foot boat. Russell Grinnell joined the crew of the squid collecting boats (all named CAPTAIN BILL) owned by Henry Klimm and contracted to the Marine Biological Laboratory.

On September 12, 1977, Sarah May Taylor was interviewed at her home on Barley Neck Road in East Orleans, Massachusetts, for Tales of Cape Cod. Taylor, born in Eastham, Massachusetts, on March 22, 1890, recounts her life on Cape Cod, focusing on her family's farming traditions, her father's work in the Coast Guard, and her own experiences in domestic and farm labor. Taylor discusses her family's farming practices, including vegetable cultivation and dairy production, highlighting the labor-intensive nature of early 20th-century agricultural life.

Seymour Waterman was interviewed for the Port of Los Angeles Centennial Oral History Project. Waterman, born in 1922 in Kansas City, Missouri, moved to Los Angeles during the Great Depression when his father sought employment in San Pedro. Waterman describes his early childhood experiences in San Pedro, recalling how his father initially worked in a local scrap yard and later peddled fruits and vegetables to make a living. As a child, Waterman worked various jobs, including dishwashing and assisting his father with his peddling business.

The Oyster Shuckers, a group of individuals from the Bayshore area, share a rich heritage rooted in the maritime traditions of Port Norris, New Jersey. Their lives are interwoven with the rhythms of the Delaware Bay, where generations have toiled in the pursuit of harvesting and processing oysters. These men and women come from diverse backgrounds, each carrying personal histories that reflect the broader narrative of the oyster industry.

Stancil G. Jones was interviewed for the Port of Los Angeles Centennial Oral History Project. Stancil Jones was born on August 3, 1926, in Los Angeles, California. His family frequently visited Terminal Island, fostering his early interest in the harbor and surrounding areas. The interview explores Jones' extensive career with the Los Angeles Fire Department, particularly his experiences working with fireboats in the harbor. He recounts his early fascination with the harbor area, which ultimately led him to a career in firefighting.

Stephanie Mardesich was interviewed for the Port of Los Angeles Centennial Oral History Project. Stephanie Mardesich, born in San Pedro, California, is a descendant of Croatian immigrants who settled in San Pedro in the early 20th century. Her grandfather, Joseph Michael Mardesich, Sr., was a pioneering figure in the California fishing industry, contributing significantly to the development of the French Sardine Company and later founding the Franco-Italian Packing Company.