Oral history interview with Rene Munoz, 2004. Interviewed by Stuart Leslie. Topics include: Tour of the Mesa Lab and Mesa Lab’s construction; experiments done at NCAR; bush hammering; Damon room; Margaret Thatcher visit; supercomputing.

This oral history is part of the West Side Stories project of the Kodiak Historical Society. West Side Stories is a public humanities and art project that intended to document the history of the west side of Kodiak Island through oral history, photography, and art. The oral histories chart the personal stories of individuals with a longtime connection to the west side of Kodiak Island, defined for the scope of this project as the area buffeted by the Shelikof Strait that stretches from Kupreanof Strait south to the village of Karluk.

Nancy Harrington has deep roots in the fishing and processing industry. Starting as a young worker in a sardine factory, she became a steadfast figure in the industry, working as a fish packer.  Nancy’s husband is a lobster fisherman and house painter. Nancy worked at the Stinson Cannery in Prospect Harbor, Maine, for forty-four years.  

Arlene Hartford has spent her life in the coastal communities of Maine. Born in Harrington in 1938, Arlene grew up in a close-knit family with one sister and three brothers. She weathered the challenges of her parents' divorce at a young age, and her mother's determination and dedication ensured that Arlene and her siblings were well-provided for, despite limited resources.

Brenda Thomas, a former schooner boat captain from Rockland, ME, sails traditionally on national historic landmark schooners such as the S/V Isaac Evans. Thomas, as someone who has spent two decades on the water, speaks about her spectrum of positive and negative experiences of fishermen interacting with the boating communities.

Bob Williams, a lobsterman, and his wife, Diane Williams, live in Stonington, ME and first met at the Fishermen’s Forum 38 years ago. They return every year for their anniversary. In the interview, they discuss the rising value of property in their area, their experiences living in coastal Maine, and the changes in the culture and economy of Stonington since the 70s such as the decline of jobs such as quarry work, ice chipping, and factory work.

Avery Waterman, a 20-year-old lobsterman from North Haven, ME, speaks about where he predominantly fishes for lobster while highlighting the changes he has noticed since he began lobster fishing, his current concerns of the impacts of government decisions related to the lobster fishery, and the reality of commercial fishing in North Haven.

Angus King, a United States senator from Brunswick, ME, speaks about the community of Maine and the cross-section of challenges and interests that are represented by people who attend the Maine Fishermen’s Forum. He focuses on the upcoming changes that the Maine community will need to face such as the recent Canadian trade deal with Europe, the Gray Zone, and climate change. Through a story about the implications of refrigeration in the 1920's, he highlights the importance Maine people remaining “resilient and creative.”

Bobby Ingalls, a lobsterman from Bucks Harbor, ME, speaks about the lobster and scallop fishing in his area and tells humorous stories about some of the trouble his fishermen friends and family have been in. Focusing on the changes in his community, Ingalls describes the impacts of come-from-aways, fishing in the 70s, and the competitive side of offshore fishing.

Dr. Mark Holliday has a B.S. in Biology from SUNY Stony Brook, a Master’s in Marine and Environmental Science from Long Island University, and a PhD in Marine Studies from the University of Delaware. Growing up around the water, Holiday always knew he wanted to have a career in marine science. He came to NOAA after finishing his Doctorate through the Intergovernmental Personnel Act before being hired as a fisheries statistician. He later became the Chief Financial Officer for the Office of Science and Technology.

Richard Langton grew up north of Boston. He studied at Northeastern University and later earned his Master's degree and Ph.D. in marine biology at the University College of North Wales in the United Kingdom. Langton completed a post-doc aquaculture project in the U.S. Virgin Islands. He was then hired by the Federal government at Woods Hole. He worked in Maine as the Bureau Director of the lab in Boothbay Harbor and started a non-profit company in Tobago. He returned to work for the NMFS again at Sandy Hook and is editor of Fishery Bulletin.

James Hastie received a PhD in Resource Economics in 1987 from Oregon State University and immediately began working for the Alaska Fisheries Science Center. Jim has been on the Pacific Council’s groundfish management team since 1993 and has served as co-chair from 2000 to 2003. He is currently the Program Manager for the Population Ecology Program and the Fishery Resource Analysis and Monitoring Division at the Northwest Fisheries Science Center.

Robert Humphreys was born in Newport Beach California, April 30, 1953. He grew up fishing in his big backyard, the Pacific Ocean and Newport Beach, California. Bob became a marine biology major at the University of California, Berkeley where he studied leopard sharks and bat rays in Bodega Bay. After graduating with his bachelor's degree, Bob then worked for the California Fish and Game office before heading to Hawaii in 1977. He began working at the NMFS Honolulu Laboratory during that year.

Marine Biologist and Computer Sciences expert Dave Hamm was born in Minnesota in 1949. His father was in the Air Force and he traveled all throughout his childhood. He started college in Orlando, Florida and then went on to earn his Bachelors of Science at the University of West Florida, specializing in biology with a minor in statistics and mathematics. He went to graduate school at the University of South Florida and studied Computer Sciences. This allowed him work with both fishery management and database management within and for fisheries.

Thea Johanos has been a research wildlife biologist with the Hawaiian Monk Seal Research Program at the Pacific Islands Fisheries Science Center (and its precursor, the Honolulu Lab) since 1982. She grew up in both Texas and Pennsylvania, and did her undergraduate and graduate work at Penn State University. After graduate school, she applied for work in Hawaii, as her family had just moved there. Her first job in Hawaii was with the US Forest Service working with Hawaiian honeycreepers and other forest birds.

Dr. Edward Klima was born on July 30, 1934, in Catskill, New York. He began working for the Bureau of Commercial Fisheries in 1962 as a shrimp biologist. He spent time in the Panama City Lab working on gear research before moving to the Pascagoula Lab. He spent 4 years in Washington D.C. where he worked on the drafting the legislation for the 200 mile limit which became the Magnuson Stevens Act. He returned to the Galveston Lab as the Lab Director in 1977 until his retirement in 1992.

Robert Kope was born in Reedley, California in 1953. He received his PhD in Population Ecology from the University of California Davis and began working for NOAA Fisheries at the Southwest Fisheries Science Center in1989.His work has focused on stock assessments, harvest management, and conservation biology of salmon in northern California. In 1994, Robert moved to the Northwest Fisheries Science Center to participate in the coast-wide status review of all Pacific salmon species under the Endangered Species Act.

Vincent Guida received his Bachelor’s of Science degree in Biology from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute in 1970. He earned his PhD in Marine Science and Zoology in 1977 from North Carolina State University. As a post-doc Fellow at Lehigh University's Institute for Pathobiology he studied mollusks. He then was a research scientist at the Center for Marine & Environmental Studies and became Director of the Wetlands Institute at Lehigh University. In the mid-1990's, he joined the staff of the Northeast Fisheries Science Center, J.J. Howard Lab.

A man of full Hawaiian ancestry describes growing up in Waikoloa, Kainalimu Bay, Maui and subsisting by growing taro, fishing, and gathering shellfish. He describes how he and his family were caught in the 1946 tsunami, how they survived, how their home was destroyed, and how it was rebuilt. He also speaks of his father, a minister, and his religious faith.

A Molokai-born man tells of his family background, schooling, homes, and jobs. He also speaks of the changes in Kaunakakai. Working in Maunaloa on April 1, 1946, he remembers his concern for his family, trip home over muddy roads to Kamalo, and tidal wave damages on the east end.

A part-Hawaiian man recalls living in Kahului with his musician grandmother and businessman grandfather. Six years old on April 1, 1946, he tells of running with his grandparents from the tsunami that washed into their Kahului Beach Road home. He also outran the 1960 tsunami and witnessed the damage it caused in Kahului.

Born in Halawa Valley, a part-Hawaiian man remembers his family's subsistence lifestyle based on taro farming. He describes the 1946 tidal wave that damaged their home and the damages caused to the taro patches.

Born in Spreckelsville, a man recalls life in Camp 3. He talks about attending English-standard Kaunoa School and how it fared in the 1946 tsunami. He describes how his family drove down to Lahaina to help an aunt and uncle whose business was destroyed. Also includes his eyewitness account of tidal wave behavior.

A woman recalls her parents and growing up in Hana, Maui. She tells of moving to Molokai and meeting her husband. On the beach with family members when the 1957 tidal wave arrived, she describes the receding ocean, their getaway in a truck, and a near accident.

The eldest daughter of florists describes her Waiehu beachfront neighborhood. She tells of her family's escape from the 1946 tsunami and describes the receding and incoming waves. Also present at the interview is her husband Richard Omuro.

A Honolulu-born man discusses his family's background, growing up in Kaka'ako, experiencing the attack on Pearl Harbor as a child, and being relocated to Kalaupapa in 1942. He recalls the 1946 tidal wave as it rolled in, caused major physical damage, and the cleanup that followed.

A ninety-five-year-old man recalls the tidal waves he lived through on Oahu and Molokai. He also remembers the cleanup in Hilo after the 1946 tsunami.

On September 27, 2008, Janice Gadaire Fleuriel interviewed Dave and Pat Densmore as part of the Working Waterfront Festival Community Documentation Project. Dave describes his childhood growing up on the Kodiak and Aleutian Islands in Alaska, remarking that he has always been called to the water. He began working on boats at the age of 12, running skiff on his father’s boat, and taking on more responsibilities at a young age. Pat shares details of her farming background and her adjustment to work at sea.

Bart Bailey is a charter captain/ stone crabber/ commercial fisher who has been fishing for 30 years inshore and offshore. He has stayed in Naples his entire life except when he ran a tuna boat from ’85 to ’92 in the Gulf of Mexico. He says he has been stone crabbing since ’92 and has spent most of the last two years running charters. 

On September 23, 2006, Janice Gadaire Fleuriel interviewed Dave Martins as part of the Working Waterfront Festival Community Documentation Project.  Dave’s parents immigrated to the US from the Azores, and while they weren’t directly involved in the fishing industry, fishing was embedded into their way of life, and they fished frequently. He describes his educational background and work in fisheries science at the School for Marine Science & Technology (SMAST).

Al Durret is a Marina owner in Fort Myers Beach.  He has been in Fort Myers Beach for thirty-three years.  He sells shrimp as bait. 

Scope and Content Note 

On September 25, 2011, Markham Starr interviewed Dave and Judy Dutra as part of the Working Waterfront Festival Community Documentation Project. Dave discusses his experiences in the fishing industry, noting the ways the community and opportunity has changed over the years. He speaks of his family’s history with fishing and his earliest memories in growing up by the water in Provincetown, where he’s fished since the age of 10.

Bill Burk is a seasoned fisherman and expert in the fishing industry with over four decades of experience. As a native of North Florida, he has witnessed and adapted to the changing fishing practices and environmental impacts on the Gulf Coast. 

Scope and Content Note

On September 23, 2006, Millie Rahn interviewed Dan Orchard as part of the Working Waterfront Festival Community Documentation Project.  Dan shares his experiences the Travis and Natalie out of Point Judith, Rhode Island. He’s worked on a variety of boats, including smaller boats, engaged in inshore dragging, scuba diving for steamers, and bull raking for little necks.

Albert Canfield is a recently retired stone crab fisherman out of Naples.

Scope and Content Note

Richard "Dick" Brame was born in Brattleboro, Vermont, but grew up in eastern North Carolina. He has a long history of working for not-for-profit organizations, including the Izaak Walton League, the North Carolina Wildlife Federation, the Pennsylvania Wildlife Federation, and the Coastal Conservation Association (C.C.A.). Brame joined the C.C.A. in 1989 and served as its first Executive Director until 1999. He then transitioned to the role of Fisheries Director, representing the C.C.A. at Atlantic States and South Atlantic council meetings.

On February 6, 1985, Michael Kline interviewed Matthew Snyder, Francine Snyder, and Ron Simmons for the Stonewall Jackson Dam Removal Project. Matthew Snyder, a contractor and part-time farmer, has experienced personal loss due to the construction of the Stonewall Jackson Dam, including the displacement of his family’s farms. Francine Snyder, his wife, offers insights into the local resistance and interactions with government officials. Ron Simmons, another local resident, shares his observations about the dam project’s broader impact on the community.

Estelle Wagner is interviewed by Kathleen Schmitt Kline about her history in the Lake Winnebago area of Wisconsin, including sturgeon spearing and its connection with her immigrant family. They listen to and discuss historical recordings she has about sturgeon culture from her father. Identities of other speakers on recording are unknown.

On August 9, 2007, Bill and Dave Goeser were interviewed for the People of the Sturgeon: Wisconsin's Love Affair with an Ancient Fish project. Bill Goeser, 85 years old at the time of the interview, was born and raised in Stockbridge, Wisconsin. His family has a long history of involvement in sturgeon spearing, a tradition that has been passed down through generations. Bill Goeser begins by recounting how his grandfather, despite having only one arm, was able to spear sturgeon by holding the spear over the top and stabbing downward.

On January 10, 2007, Kathleen Schmitt Kline interviewed Dave Grignon for the People of the Sturgeon: Wisconsin's Love Affair with an Ancient Fish project. Dave Grignon, whose Menominee name is Nahwahquaw, serves as the tribal historic preservation officer for the Menominee tribe. The interview begins with Grignon explaining the significance of the sturgeon in Menominee culture and history. The sturgeon is a clan symbol under the Bear clan and is integral to the Menominee creation story, symbolizing the keeper of the wild rice and tribal history.

Kathleen Schmitt Kline and Ronald M. Bruch interview Gerald Van Straten about cooking sturgeon, spear fishing, and poachers using snag lines. Gerald also discusses family stories of fishing, particularly from his grandfather.

Bill McAloon discusses his experiences as a leading member of Sturgeon for Tomorrow and as a sturgeon spearer in an interview conducted by Dick Ristow. He talks about the early days on the Wolf River, helping to train wardens for DNR, illegal fishing practices and negative impact on the lakes, successful decoys, and sharing of fishing tradition with son and grandson.

On August 3, 2007, David Kuhn was interviewed for the People of the Sturgeon: Wisconsin's Love Affair with an Ancient Fish oral history project. David Kuhn, a 63-year-old Black Creek, Wisconsin resident with German and English ancestry, shares his personal history and experiences with sturgeon spearing. Raised in Nichols, Wisconsin, Kuhn recounts how his grandfather's stories about Indigenous sturgeon fishing methods in Royalton sparked his interest in the practice.

Bill McAloon is interviewed on January 30, 2007 by Eugene Herubin about his experiences sturgeon fishing. McAloon primarily fishes on Wolf River, but also on Lake Winnebago. McAloon discussed his experiences as a youth when it was common for people to fish sturgeon out of the river, as well as the shift in legality of these methods as well as local mindset regarding such practices. Tape recording ends abruptly and early in interview.

Kathleen Schmitt Kline interviews Don Reiter, the Tribal Fish and Wildlife Manager for the Menominee Tribe of Wisconsin. Don discusses his history with sturgeon and the Menominee Tribe, particularly in relation to restricted Menominee access to sturgeon spearing in the past. 

Mary Lou Schneider is interviewed by Pat Braasch about how sturgeon spearing has impacted her life. Mary Lou discusses the process for creating decoys, from acquisition of materials to finishing touches. She also discusses large fish she has seen over the years, her own spearing track record, and the people she spends the most time with during spearing season.

On May 11, 1988, Nancy Solomon interviewed Rick Verity as part of the Long Island Traditions Oral History Collection. Rick is a skilled bayman who learned the art of eeling from his father, Elwood Verity. He shares his lifelong experiences as a bayman, inheriting his knowledge and skills from his father and uncle. He discusses his early introduction to clamming, the intricacies of eel trapping and combing, and the craftsmanship behind creating various types of traps and nets.

Dan Harriman is a fisherman who operates the state’s last mackerel weir in Cape Elizabeth, ME. His family came to the US from Denmark in the 1980s. He speaks about his experience fishing and discusses the issues he sees in the fishing industry such as unsustainability and lack of access. He believes these challenges stem from knowledge not being passed between generations and suggests that change needs to come from the bottom up.

On August 17, 2009, Cathay Sakas interviewed George Walker as part of the Georgia Black Fishermen oral history project.  George was born in 1946 on Sapelo Island, Georgia—a small Gullah Geechee community founded on the fourth largest barrier island in the 1700s, 60 miles south of Savannah, in McIntosh County.  George was an experienced shrimper during the 1960s, prior to working as a licensed captain aboard research vessels at the University of Georgia’s Marine Institute.  As a shrimper, Mr.  Walker remembers the decreasing shrimp prices and increasing fuel prices

Bruce Fernald, a lobsterman from Little Cranberry Island, ME, speaks about his concerns for the future of his island community and the Maine lobster industry. He emphasizes the importance of getting internet out to islands to provide other options for making a living. Fernald also talks about how none of the young people in his family want to fish and that six generations of lobster fishing will end with this generation.

David, Cynthia, and Emily Thomas are from Islesford, Cranberry Islands, ME. David is a retired school teacher and lobsterman, Cynthia works at the island library, and their daughter Emily attended college and now works in Nova Scotia, CA, though she grew up on the Cranberry Islands. They speak about the diversification of Islesford, temperature impacting the location of lobsters, and changes in island life, such as setting up reliable internet service but losing the island store.

Carl Schwab, a retired fisherman from Port Clyde, ME, who was not born into a fishing family, speaks about how he began to summer in Maine and work on fishing boats. He speaks about his experiences fishing for different species such as lobster, herring, and shrimp and the differences in his personal experience of fishing with his children’s growing up in this way of life.

Chris Bartlett, a marine extension associate with the University of Maine Sea Grant from Eastport, ME, whose work has focused on commercial fishing and aquaculture, speaks about the economic and social changes in Eastport during his time there. He describes the old method of locating fishing spots by using multiple landmarks for triangulation, the impact of changing technologies on the fishery, and his work with the Ocean Renewable Power Company to assess the environmental impacts of tidal power and communicate effectively with the local communities.

Chellie Pingree, a United States congresswoman from North Haven, ME, whose work focuses on fisheries policy issues, speaks about her work speaking to local lobstermen and how this year’s conversations have focused on concerns about the future of the fisheries with warming temperatures. She describes her own concerns for the future of her island community and the values and necessities of island life.

Captain Frank Gargas, Sr., and his two sons, Frank Jr. and Steve, reflect on their experience as a fishing family. Frank Sr. relays a time when the family was with him on the tuna boat and they encountered rough weather from Hurricane Camille (1969). Steve talks about his mother and what she faced as a wife of a fisherman, having her husband at sea much of the time. Frank Jr. reflects on what drew him to become a fisherman.

Mr. Rauch is Deputy Assistant Administrator for regulatory programs of NOAA’s National Marine Fisheries Service. After receiving a B.A. from the University of Virginia, he received a M.S. from the University of Georgia with the goal of becoming a forest ecologist scientist. He then earned a J.D. from Northwestern School of Law of Lewis and Clark College and worked for the U.S. Attorney’s Office on the spotted owl litigation team. He was transferred to NMFS where he first worked on salmon cases before becoming Assistant Section Chief where he oversaw all NMFS litigations.

Dr. Frank Parrish was inspired to pursue marine science by his Dad and his work. He learned to SCUBA dive at age 11 while living in Puerto Rico. His family moved to Hawaii just before he began high school where he spent these years volunteering for his Dad and recreational diving. He earned his Bachelor’s degree in Zoology, his Master’s degree in Geography, and his PhD all from the University of Hawaii. He began working at the Pacific Islands Fisheries Science Center as a biological aide, and is currently the Ecosystem Sciences Division Chief.

Dr. Samuel G. Pooley earned his PhD in Political Science from the University of Hawaii with a dissertation on macroeconomic decision-making, and a Masters in Economics from the University of Birmingham in England. He began working in 1981 at what was then the Southwest Fisheries Science Center‟s Honolulu Laboratory (HL), later the Pacific Island Fisheries Science Center. During his career with NMFS, he served in many roles including acting Regional Administrator, acting chief scientists, and finally Pacific Islands Fisheries Science Center Director for 10 years. Dr.

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.

Linda Rhodes was born in Fort Eustis, Virginia in 1952. Linda moved to the Seattle coast in 1974. She earned her Ph.D. in Molecular and Cell Biology from the University of Washington in 1993. Linda has done work as a histopathologist and zoologist. She began working for the Northwest Fisheries Science Center in 1976 and has been a microbiologist since 2007. She enjoys in her leisure time participating in citizen science projects in her county. As of this interview, Linda lives on Whidbey Island, Washington.

Dr. Jeffrey Polovinawas born in Troy, New York on September 30, 1948. He obtained an undergraduate degree in mathematics at Carnegie Mellon University and later a Ph.D. in statistics from the University of California, Berkley. He began his career in academics teaching at the University of San Diego. He moved to Hawaii and began working at the University of Hawaii Sea Grant office. He later went to work for the National Marine Fisheries Service and has served as the Chief of Ecosystem and Oceanography Division for most of his career. At the time of this interview in 2016, Dr.

Michael Rust is an aquaculture science advisor for NOAA in Silver Spring, Maryland and has spent the last two decades conducting aquaculture research at the Northwest Fisheries Science Center. He received his undergraduate degree in biology from the University of Colorado. He then served two years in the Peace Corps in the Philippines before returning to the United States. Rust pursued two Master’s degrees at the University ofCalifornia, one in International Agricultural Development and one in Animal Sciences. He also has a Ph.D. from the University of Washington.

Beth Phelan Hill, Ph.D. has been a research fishery biologist at the J.J. Howard Marine Sciences Lab at Sandy Hook since 1984. She earned her PhD from Rutgers University. At the time of this interview, she was the Chief of Fisheries Ecology.

Interview contains discussions of:Changes in focus for lab, ecology, ecosystem management, ocean acidification and climate change.

In this interview, Beth Phelan Hill discusses her work with the Northeast Fisheries Science Center including funding challenges and the evolution of data management.

Linda Park is a research geneticist at the Northwest Fisheries Science Center in Seattle, Washington. She received a Bachelor of Science degree in biological sciences and genetics from Cornell University and a PhD in population biology from Washington University in St. Louis. She has worked for NOAA for 26 years, and is currently the team leader of the molecular genetics laboratory.

Interview with Frank Parker born July 4, 1973 in Biloxi, Mississippi.  Parker is a lifelong shrimp fisherman.  Interview contains information on fishing practices, perceptions of TEDs during their early years of implementation and technical details regarding the shrimping industry.

Interview with Charles "Chuck" Oravetz born December 1942 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.  He retired from National Marine Fisheries Service in 2001 as Assistant Regional Administrator for Protected Resources.  His work involved developing and implementing TEDs with the Pascagoula, Mississippi lab.

Interview with biologist Deborah Crouse of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. Crouse was born in 1950 and has worked as a scientist on turtle issues since 1982. Interview contains information on coastal habitat, introduction of TEDs, development of gear technology, turtle reproduction and survival, ecology.

Interview with Bob Jones, born in 1933, who at the time of the interview was the Executive Director of the Southeast Fisheries Association. Interview contains his recollections of the implementation of TEDs within the fishery, opinions on federal management, thoughts on the decline of the shrimp fishery, industry challenges and relations with environmental organizations.

Interview with Sally Murphy born October 16, 1943 in Savannah, GA. Murphy is the retired Sea Turtle Coordinator of the SC Dept. of Natural Resources. She established their turtle conservation program and conducted research to determine impacts on sea turtles and management of recovery efforts. Her work also included monitoring declines in the species as well as education and outreach to the public. Interview Topics: Sinkey Boone, Georgia Jumper, Super Shooter, Bycatch reduction devices, Started as Co-Leader of Turtle Recovery Team in 1979

Interview with Mike Harris, Chief of Nongame Conservation Section, Wildlife Resources Division, Georgia DNR. Harris began work for Georgia DNR's Coastal Resources Division in 1986 and worked on introducing TEDs in the Georgia shrimping industry. In this interview, Harris speaks about the development of TEDs from Sinkey Boone's original Jellyball Shooter, federal regulations and attitudes in the fishing industry toward conservation measures.

Interview with Sinkey Boone of Darien, Georgia, born in 1937.  Interview consists of Boone's recollections of building early TEDs, bycatch, and the design of TEDs from the late-1960s onwards. Other Topics: equipment, bycatch, fish species

Mary Misetich was born in 1912 in Washington. Her family later moved to San Pedro, where she lived for 90 years. In 1932, she married Dominick Misetich, a tuna fisherman. Both of their families came from the island of Brac, Yugoslavia.

On April 7, 2011, Georgen Charnes, Michael Proch, and Ty Fleishut interviewed Henry Wasierski at his home in Nantucket for NOAA’s Voices from the Fisheries project. Wasierski, born on Nantucket Island in 1935, is a retired commercial fisherman with decades of experience in fishing and maritime trades. He grew up in Nantucket and Falmouth, later working in commercial fishing while also maintaining a career in plumbing. Wasierski discusses his early experiences in the fishing industry, beginning with commercial quahogging and bay scalloping in Falmouth in the early 1960s.

On June 23, 2015, Michael Kline interviewed Donald Stobbs at his farm in Colerain, Ohio. Donald W. Stobbs was born on June 21, 1921, in St. Clairsville, Ohio, to Matthew and Lena (Sunderman) Stobbs. He served as a US Navy Pilot during World War II, stationed in the Aleutian Islands. After the war, Donald became a farmer until his retirement. He was a charter life member of the Colerain VFW Post 8848 and a member of Colerain Presbyterian Church, the Colerain Farm Bureau, and the Colerain Senior Citizens Center.

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.

On September 9, 2013, Joshua Wrigley interviewed Fred Viola in South Portland, Maine, for the Maine Coast Oral History Initiative. Viola, a lifelong resident of Portland, grew up in a fishing family but preferred shore-based work. He worked in construction for most of his career while intermittently engaging in fish unloading, or "lumping," at the Portland Fish Exchange. Viola describes his early work in the fishing industry, starting as a teenager in a whiting factory before transitioning to lumping, which provided higher earnings.

On September 23, 2005, Millie Rahn interviewed Gunnar and John Gundersen as part of the Working Waterfront Festival Community Documentation Project. Gunnar and Johan Gundersen, father and son owners of Scandia Propellers and Supplies, share their experiences and insights regarding their business and the fishing industry.Gunnar describes his early years in Norway, his migration to the United States, and the establishment of Scandia Propellers and Supplies.

On September 30, 2012, Markham Starr interviewed Hans Davidson as part of the Working Waterfront Festival Community Documentation Project. Davidson discusses his early experiences in the industry, his progression from a newcomer to a captain, and the various boats he worked on. He also shares his perspectives on the challenges of the fishing industry, including struggles against regulations, the impact of the job on family life, and the dangers of the work.

On September 23, 2005, Millie Rahn interviewed Howard Nickerson as part of the Working Waterfront Festival Community Documentation Project. Howard recounts his early life, his transition from vocational school to working in the fishery industry, and the challenges faced during the Great Depression. He discusses his work as an engineer on fishing vessels, primarily involved in sea scalloping, and his involvement with the fishermen's union and his role as a union representative.

Thomas A. Williams (1925-2006). Son of an innovative Menhaden fishing boat captain, Williams provided an inventory of steamboat landings and lighthouses. He described the wide range of goods delivered to and from Northumberland County by steamers. 

Rubie Lee Norris (1916-2012). Then still living in a pre-Civil War house built by her great uncle near Topping on the Rappahannock River, Norris remembered riding the steamers to college in Fredericksburg and told vivid stories of clerking in her father’s store, which was supplied by steamers. 

Mary Aspinall, a farmer, has lived in the Stonewall Jackson Lake area for forty years. Originally from the Roanoke area, she and her husband moved to their current farm after the dam was proposed on the West Fork River. Prior to their current farming endeavors, the Aspinalls owned a farm in the Roanoke area. Their decision to relocate was influenced by the proposed construction of a dam on the West Fork River, which promised new opportunities and challenges for the local agricultural community.

Charles R. Winstead, Age 88 (1915-2008). Captain Winstead spent most of his working life aboard a menhaden (type of fish) fishing boat. A powerful and articulate seaman, Winstead elucidates the inner workings of a steam-powered fishing vessel, including singing an example of the chanteys he led as a crew member to draw in the nets. Winstead, the first African-American in the region to acquire a pilot and captain’s license, rode passenger steamboats on several occasions during his younger days.

At 101 Mrs. Braxton was articulate and good humored. A native of Middlesex County, she described her tenure teaching at African-American schoolhouses and earlier, working in the dairy at her childhood home. She graphically depicted the sounds and excitement that ensued with the coming of the steamboats. Her daughter Xennia Long rounded out the interview with her poetry on local life and culture.

Harvey Morgan interview; Luncheon talk following interview with mother.

Charles J. "Chuck" Harney (1922-2004). At the time of the interview he had been retired to Lancaster County fifteen years. He said he had videotaped over 150 interviews with local people on boats, in homes and shops, in fields and marshes throughout the region.

Walter Orr Roberts discusses how he came to be NCAR's first director, the purpose for creating a national center, the process for identifying NCAR's initial priorities, the issue of competition between NCAR and university programs, the debate regarding NCAR's focus on research with practical applications, and NCAR's early facilities. Roberts reflects on characteristics of a successful research center, his ideas about administration, and the importance of interdisciplinary research and international cooperation among the scientific community.

Interview with John Lee Callis 

Lakemariam Worku is a 33-year-old atmospheric science PhD student from Ethiopia. He attended A&T State University in Greensboro, North Carolina, and is currently working on his research. His interest in meteorology began in his childhood when he would visit a meteorology station with his friend whose father was a meteorology observer. This fascination led him to join the meteorology department at Arba Minch University in Ethiopia. After graduation, he worked for the national meteorology agency of Ethiopia for seven years before moving to the United States.

Laurie Kay Sommers is a freelance folklorist and historic preservation consultant based in Okemos, Michigan. She has been writing about Michigan history and culture since the 1970’s. Laurie Sommers was interviewed to document the experience of Fishtown, Michigan, in establishing the Fishtown Preservation Society. Bringing together local expertise, the Fishtown Preservation Society has combined historic preservation efforts along with folklore to promote stewardship of the historic Fishtown waterfront. Ms.

Biographical Note:
William “Bill” Needelman is the Waterfront Coordinator for the City of Portland, Maine. He was born in Portland, Maine on April 3, 1964.

Jim Anderson is a local fisherman in Half Moon Bay who followed his father's footsteps of becoming a fisherman. Like any fisherman's tradition, he built his own commercial boat and named it after his mother, Allaine. He fishes for salmon in the summer and crab in the winter and is vastly involved with fishery politics and policies. He's putting a class together with Half Moon Bay High School and trains individuals to survive on a boat and the ocean.

Jane De Lay is a female fisherman who has been fishing since 2003. She started in a conservation as a environmentalist for Save Our Shores, working on conserving and protecting the ocean from pollution and habitat protection, one day she was invited to go fishing and she was hooked. She specializes in salmon, crab, rockfish, albacore, and sometimes squid and goes fish trolling. She fishes in a boat that's 34 feet, single hull, and it's made out of fiber glass. When she fishes for salmon she only catches Chinook salmon in California waters.

Mike Hudson is a very selective Northern California Salmon and Crab Fisherman born in Reno Nevada, raised in Germany, and he currently reside in Berkeley. Hudson comes from a long line of Native American fisherman from Canada. He finds joy in catching fish and going to the Farmer's Market with his wife and seeing the satisfaction in his buyers' faces. Hudson explains to his audience that a fisherman hardly gets lost at sea because of the technologies and gizmos in the boat, and if that fails fisherman analyzes which way the waves and wind blows then sail towards shore.

Jane De Lay is a female fisherman who has been fishing since 2003. She started in a conservation as a environmentalist for Save Our Shores, working on conserving and protecting the ocean from pollution and habitat protection, one day she was invited to go fishing and she was hooked. She specializes in salmon, crab, rockfish, albacore, and sometimes squid and goes fish trolling. She fishes in a boat that's 34 feet, single hull, and it's made out of fiber glass. When she fishes for salmon she only catches Chinook salmon in California waters.

David Crabbe is a wetfish fisherman, also known as squid fisherman. He explains the complicated practice behind squid fishing starting from the preparation of the boat to the knitting of torn nets; he also shares his fishing experience. He is a first generation fisherman in Monterey Bay, been fishing for more than 25 years, started fishing in high school and worked his way up to earn his first boat. He explains the different type of corks that are used to suspend the net up in surface water.

Originally from a small fishing community on the east coast, Alan Lovewell came to California for school, and soon realized most Californians were not eating seafood from California. Understanding the importance of connecting the local fishing industry to the Monterey Bay community, Alan and his business partner started Local Catch Monterey, a community supported fishery (CSF). Local Catch Monterey has relationships with many of the local fishermen in the Monterey Bay Sanctuary and delivers local, fresh, sustainable seafood to consumers on a weekly basis.

John is Northern California Abalone Farmer. In this interview he starts with the history of abalones; how they were mainly found in Asia and Asian cultured dishes, and the main consumers of abalones in America are the Asian community. Then he shares to his audience the hardships of raising baby Abalones to adulthood in their facility. He also makes a comparison between ocean-caged raised abalones and land farm abalones, and how his land-farmed facility has more controlled over raising abalones.

Dr. Richard Merrick is Chief Science Administrator and Director of Scientific Programs at NOAA Fisheries. He has a B.S. and Master’s from Clemson University, two Master’s from Oregon State University in Marine Resource Management and Biological Oceanography, and finally a PhD in Fisheries from the University of Washington in Seattle. Merrick began his career with NOAA as a contractor in 1983, working in Alaska and the Arctic. He then moved to the Northeast Fisheries Science Center and continued working for the conservation of marine mammals.