Lindsey Parker
Dock Stories
The Dock Stories project incorporates oral history research with other research methods in order to address simultaneous issues being experienced by fishing communities in Georgia. The project goals are to improve infrastructure and industry sustainability by identifying improvement opportunities within the constraints of land use, environmental impacts, weather patterns, aging infrastructure, and evolving vessel needs, while also documenting the cultural history of commercial fishing docks in Georgia. An integral part of the project is training student researchers in the Georgia Southern Anthropology program. Under the guidance of Dr. Sweeney Tookes (Georgia Southern University) and Bryan Fluech (University of Georgia Marine Extension & Georgia Sea Grant), students are receiving comprehensive training in conducting interviews, oral histories, and appropriate interview protocols. They then spend several days at a time on the Georgia coast, learning firsthand about the marshes, estuaries, vessels, and communities before commencing lengthy oral history interviews with local experts on the industry. This project began in 2024 and will continue through 2026, coordinated by Graduate Student Project Manager, Kristin Meeuwen.
Kristin Meeuwen
On February 28, 2025, Logan Collins and Kristin Meeuwen interviewed Captain Lindsey Parker at the Sea Grant dock in Brunswick, Glynn County, Georgia, for the Dock Stories oral history project. Captain Lindsey Parker is a retired commercial fisherman and long-time captain of the University of Georgia Marine Extension Service’s research vessel, the Bulldog, where he worked from the early 1980s until his retirement around 2017. With a background in commercial shrimping and a deep knowledge of the Georgia shrimp fishery, Parker played a key role in applied marine research, including the development and testing of turtle excluder devices (TEDs), bycatch reduction technologies, and other gear innovations aimed at supporting sustainable fisheries.
In this interview, Parker discusses the evolution of the Sea Grant dock, the Bulldog’s research missions, and the challenges facing Georgia’s shrimping industry. He reflects on regulatory changes, the impact of aquaculture and imports on domestic shrimp markets, and long-term shifts in marine life, including sea turtle populations, sharks, and the emergence of tiger shrimp. He details the Bulldog’s contributions to turtle abundance studies and gear testing collaborations with NOAA and the South Carolina Department of Natural Resources. Parker also shares stories about experimental fisheries for red snapper, golden tilefish, wreckfish, and golden crab, as well as efforts to support fishermen through research, extension, and outreach. He offers insight into the decline of working waterfronts, the loss of shrimp docks to development, and his perspective on fisheries management and policy.
Please Note: The oral histories in this collection are protected by copyright and have been created for educational, research and personal use as described by the Fair Use Doctrine in the U.S. Copyright law. Please reach out Voices@noaa.gov to let us know how these interviews are being used in your research, project, exhibit, etc. The Voices staff can help provide other useful resources related to your inquiry.
The NOAA mission is to understand and predict changes in climate, weather, oceans, and coasts, to share that knowledge and information with others, and to conserve and manage coastal and marine ecosystems and resources. The Voices Oral History Archives offers public access to a wide range of accounts, including historical materials that are products of their particular times, and may contain offensive language or negative stereotypes.
Voices Oral History Archives does not verify the accuracy of materials submitted to us. The opinions expressed in the interviews are those of the interviewee only. The interviews here have been made available to the public only after the interviewer has confirmed that they have obtained consent.