Kurt Fresh was born in 1953. He attended the University of the Pacific for his undergraduate degree and received his Master's in Fisheries Science from the University of Washington in 1979. He began his career at the Washington State Department of Fish and Wildlife in 1978. He moved to the Northwest Fisheries Science Center in 2002. Kurt’s focus has long been on salmon life histories and ecology as well as estuarine habitats. At the time of this interview, he was the Estuarine and Ocean Ecology Program Manager at the Northwest Fisheries Science Center.

Interview contains discussions of: estuarine salmon ecology, Puget sound ecology, UW, Native American tribes and rights, Pacific Native American tribes and federal government, NFSC program management, Columbia river estuary, Snohomish tribe, Skagit tribe, Columbia river salmon, Elwha river dam removal, conservation and tribe rights, citizen science volunteers, shoreline protection and property owners, Whidbey island volunteers, Hollings scholars, government science need for volunteers, diversity at NWFSC, government program manager training, ocean acidification, impacts on climate change Kurt Fresh provides a rich description of his career with the Washington State Department of Fish and Wildlife as well as his career at the Northwest Fisheries Science Center. He discusses his work with the tribal communities, volunteer citizen scientists and his focus on salmon and estuarine habitats.