Randolph L. Ferguson
NOAA Beaufort Lab Oral Histories
Interviews with retired staff of NOAA Beaufort Lab, documenting their academic background, career path, research focus, and reflections on their work in the lab.
National Capital Contracting
Dr. Randolph “Randy” L. Ferguson was born in Wisconsin along the shores of Lake Michigan and
spent his formative years there.
During his mid-teens the family moved to New York; there, he enrolled in Cornell University and graduated in 1967 with a Bachelor’s Degree concentrating in Environmental Sciences.
He entered graduate school at Florida State University in Tallahassee and received his Ph.D. from FSU in 1971; his dissertation dealt with the effects of light and temperature on the growth and productivity of phytoplankton.
In 1972, Randy was hired at the Beaufort Lab. Initially, his research involved studying marine bacteria and detritus in salt marshes and the ocean. Later, he collaborated with other researchers at the Lab examining trace metals in marine food webs.
His research interests shifted course in mid-career when he began to use aerial photogrammetry and satellite imagery to analyze land usage adjacent estuarine waters. Additional studies involved satellite sea surface temperature imagery as related to fishery resources.
With his expertise in remote sensing, Randy in cooperation with the State of North Carolina, the U.S Agriculture Department, and the U.S. Geological Service produced a set of hydrographic charts of North Carolina’s major sounds while accurately mapping extant seagrass beds.
Owing to his expertise with phytoplankton in the Gulf of Mexico during his FSU years, Randy was one of the first researchers to recognize an historic red tide outbreak in North Carolina waters in 1989.
Randy retired from the Beaufort Laboratory in 2008.
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.