Bob Rich is a native of Miami, where he spent his entire life and built a successful career in the maritime industry. His journey into the maritime business began with his father, who was initially an engineer for Pan Am but later ventured into entrepreneurship, starting a small business that eventually evolved into selling marine electronics. The industry was relatively small at the time, with no pressing need for radios and depth finders, but it has since grown and transformed with the advent of technologies like the Global Positioning System (GPS).

Bradford Brown was born in 1939 in Worcester, Massachusetts. He received his undergraduate degree from Cornell, his Master's from Auburn and his PhD from Oklahoma State University. He began working for the Bureau of Commercial Fisheries at the Woods Hole lab in 1962. He worked in Woods Hole, Massachusetts from 1962 – 1965 and 1970- 1984. In between he served as Assistant Leader of the Fish and Wildlife Service’s Oklahoma Cooperative Fisheries Units and as Assistant Professor of Zoology at Oklahoma State University.

David McClellan was born on August 18, 1949 in Honolulu, Hawaii. He worked for NOAA at the Southeast Fisheries Science Center as a Fisheries Research Biologist for 37 years, conducting countless dives to gather data on the fisheries.

Interview contains discussion of: Southeast Fisheries Science Center, collecting fisheries data, NOAA divers, evolution and effect of data collection technology, benefits and disadvantages for working for a government agency, Reef Fish Visual Census Program.

Dr. Ed Rappaport was born in 1957 in Southern California. He earned his undergraduate and master’s degrees in Atmospheric Sciences from the University of Washington.  Ed then received his Ph.D. with an emphasis in Atmospheric Science from Texas Tech University.  Dr. Rappaport began at NHC as a post-doctoral fellow for the University Corporation for Atmospheric Research.

Herb Marvin is a native of Homestead, Florida, with deep familial ties to the region's commercial fishing industry. His personal history is interwoven with the environmental and industrial changes in Florida Bay. Marvin's upbringing in Homestead provided him with a unique perspective on the natural landscape and the community's reliance on its resources. His family's involvement in commercial fishing allowed him firsthand insight into the practices and challenges of the industry.

James Bohnsack was born on September 3, 1947 in Flint, Michigan. He began working at the Southeast Fisheries Science Center in 1984 as a research fishery biologist. At the time of this interview in 2016, he was the Division Chief at the Southeast Fisheries Science Center, a position he has held since 2004.

Dr. Joseph Powers was born on February 19, 1949 in Gustine, California. He has earned degrees from the University of California, Davis A.B. Zoology 1971; California State University, Humboldt M.S. Fisheries Biology 1973 ; and Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University PhD Fisheries Science 1975. He began his career with National Marine Fisheries Service at the Southwest Fisheries Science Center in 1975. He then moved to the Southeast Fisheries Science Centers in 1979.

Dr. Lixion Avila is a renowned meteorologist who has made significant contributions to the field of weather forecasting. Born on November 25, 1950, in Havana, Cuba, Avila grew up in an American church, celebrating holidays like Thanksgiving. His family history traces back to Spain on his father's side and Eastern Europe on his mother's side. Avila's father held various jobs, one of which was a cowboy, transporting cattle from Central Cuba to Havana. Growing up in the Caribbean, he encountered and became fascinated with tropical storms.

Luis Esteban Garcia was born on June 18, 1970, at Mt. Sinai Hospital in Miami Beach, Florida. He spent his early childhood near the Miami River before moving to the Roads neighborhood at age seven. Garcia attended Louisiana State University from 1988 to 1991. His family has a long history in the fishing industry, originating in Cuba. After the Cuban Revolution, his father and uncles were forced to work for the regime, leading to their exile to Miami.

Manny Toledo is an experienced fisherman hailing from a family with deep fishing traditions. Growing up in a fishing household, he honed his skills in Cuba before migrating to Miami, where he continued the family legacy of building and selling high-quality commercial traps. Known for his expertise in trap building and as a dealer for fellow fishermen, Toledo is a respected figure in the fishing community.