Rear Admiral Samuel P. DeBow Jr. was born in Philadelphia in 1953.  He earned his B.S. degree in Commerce and Engineering from Drexel University.  When RADM DeBow graduated in 1976, he became a commissioned officer in the NOAA Corps.  Sam earned his M.S. in Hydrographic Sciences from the Naval Postgraduate School, and was also a Senior Executive Fellow at Harvard University’s John F. Kennedy School of Government.

• Grew up in inland MA, but had a house is Warham
• After he graduated he took an internship with the Marine Biological Labs in Woods Hole
• Took and VW bus and got a job with the University of Washington Research Ship as part of the deck crew

On April 21, 2020, Tanner Kern interviewed Hans Laufer in Essex, Connecticut, for the Maritime Studies Capstone Seminar Oral History Project. Laufer recounts his early life in Germany, including his family’s forced emigration following Kristallnacht in 1938. He describes the challenges of adjusting to life in New York, his education at Stuyvesant High School, and the development of his interest in biology and aquaculture.

• Associate Professor at UCONN Avery Point in Maritime English
• Lead Foreman of the Mystic Seaport Museum’s Demonstration Squad
• Prominent Herman Melville Scholar

Todd Bragdon is a resident of Danielson, Connecticut and has been a commercial fishermen since 1982 out of Alaska, Connecticut, and Massachusetts, Owner/Operator Oneonta Fisheries Inc. Todd born on April 23, 1964, in Windham, Connecticut, spent his early years on a hog farm in Scotland, Connecticut. His family moved to Iowa when he was two years old, but returned to Connecticut in 1968.

Oral history interview with Ethan Schmidt, Sea Cadet and Astrophysicist.  Engineer on a Gas Line and multiple ships out at sea. 

Subjects/Topics:
Life of Ethan Schmidt, Life as a sea cadet, Life as a engine cadet, NOAA, Bouchard Transportation, Good/Bad Effects of The Sea.

Sylvain De Guise is an academic and researcher specializing in marine spatial planning. His career includes significant contributions to developing and implementing environmental management plans, notably the Blue Plan for Long Island Sound. De Guise's expertise lies in understanding and documenting natural resources and human activities within marine environments. His work often involves engaging with stakeholders to create comprehensive, data-driven plans that balance ecological preservation with sustainable development.

On April 28, 2020, Christopher Rice interviewed Zachary Howe for the Maritime Studies Capstone Seminar Oral History Project. Howe, a resident of Ledyard, Connecticut, was born in 1988 and grew up in Frankfort, Indiana. His military career brought him to Connecticut, where he has lived for the past fourteen years following his enlistment in the U.S. Navy. The interview provides an overview of Howe's family background, military career, and personal experiences. Howe discusses his upbringing, mentioning that he was primarily raised by his mother, aunts, and grandmother.

On May 6, 2020, Cassidy Martin interviewed Kelly Shannon for the Maritime Studies Capstone Seminar Oral History Project. Kelly Shannon is an environmental analyst with the Department of Agriculture's Bureau of Aquaculture. Shannon’s work is focused on shellfish management, encompassing tasks such as water quality testing, shellfish meat analysis, and pollution source identification. She works closely with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, state and local health departments, and other relevant agencies to ensure consumers' safety of shellfish products.

Oral history interview with Kurt Kawamoto.

On May 19, 2020, Molly Graham interviewed Albert “Benjie” Spencer as part of the NOAA Heritage Oral History Project. Spencer retired in 2024 as the Chief Engineer and Director of Engineering Standards Division for the NOAA National Weather Service (NWS) in the Office of Planning and Programming for Service Delivery. His responsibilities included implementing policy, providing end-to-end system engineering oversight, assessing risks, and ensuring consistent engineering processes and standards throughout the organization.

Lon Frahm is a sixth generation farmer in Thomas County Kansas where he owns and manages a farming operation of 36,000 acres primarily of dryland and irrigated corn. He pioneered large-scale, no-till farming along with other conservation practices. Lon holds bachelor's degrees in Business and Agriculture as well as a Master of Agribusiness degree from Kansas State University. Maintaining his family's tradition of public service, Lon was a long-time Board President of the Northwest Kansas Groundwater Management District #4 in Colby, Kansas.

Joe Evjen was born in 1967 in Gainesville, Florida. His father served briefly in the Navy, and his brother attended the Naval Academy. Evjen was active in the Boy Scouts and developed an early interest in orienteering. He pursued a degree in surveying and mapping at the University of Florida and became interested in the Coast and Geodetic Survey. Evjen graduated in December 1990 and joined the NOAA Corps in January 1991.

Captain Carl William Fisher, NOAA (retired) was born in Canandaigua, New York on April 12, 1942.  He graduated from Canandaigua Academy in 1960 and was honored as a Graduate of Distinction in 2019.  He graduated from the State University of New York Maritime College in 1965 with a U. S. Merchant Marine License and a B.S. degree in Meteorology and Oceanography.  He was Commissioned as an Officer in the U.S.

Dr. Ian Enochs is the co-principal investigator of ACCRETE (Acidification, Climate, and Coral Reef Ecosystems TEam), NCRMP (National Coral Reef Monitoring Program), and AOAT (Atlantic Ocean Acidification Test-bed (NOAA) ). Dr. Enochs is the principal investigator of three projects: 1) Maug: a rare ocean acidification hotspot in US waters, 2) Incorporating Risk from Ocean Acidification into Acropora nurseries, and 3) Establishing numeric nutrient criteria for Southeast Florida Reefs. Enochs graduated cum laude from the University of Miami in 2006 and later earned his Ph.D.

Interview with Don Field – NOAA NCCOS Research Ecologist

Interview with Kevin Brewington

Margaret Miller is the Research Director for SECORE International, a conservation nonprofit dedicated to creating and sharing the tools and technologies to sustainably restore coral reefs worldwide.  She leads SECORE’s research strategy and fosters research collaborations with scientific partners. Margaret serves on the US-Acropora Recovery Implementation Team (ARIT) and as a Councilor-At-Large for the International Coral Reef Society.

Sarah Fangman is superintendent of Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary, overseeing management and operations of a protected area covering 2,900 square nautical miles. She was appointed to the position in July 2017 after serving as superintendent of Gray’s Reef National Marine Sanctuary, Georgia. She has been with the Office of National Marine Sanctuaries since 1998, after serving as a US Presidential Management Fellow with NOAA Fisheries in the Northwest and the Marine Mammal Health and Stranding Response Program in Washington, D.C.

Alison works in the NOAA Fisheries Southeast Regional Office in the Coral Conservation Branch of the Protected Resources Division. Her area of expertise is coral ecology, particularly reproduction, recruitment, and restoration. She provides scientific support for management actions and coordinates recovery-related activities for the seven species of Caribbean coral listed under the U.S. Endangered Species Act (ESA).

Oral history interview with Richard Permenter, NOAA Commissioned Corps

Laura Jay Grove is a research fishery biologist at the National Marine Fisheries Service’s Southeast Fisheries Science Center (SEFSC) in Miami. Jay received her B.S. in marine biology from the University of New Hampshire, M.S. in marine science from the University of New England and Ph.D. in fisheries from Auburn University. She joined NOAA in 2016 and is presently the Coral Reef Conservation Program’s National Coral Reef Monitoring Program’s (NCRMP) SEFSC lead. In this role, she is the lead fish data scientist ensuring high quality data collection and analysis.

In this 2020 oral history interview, former State Representative Carl Holmes discusses his observations of state water policy formulation in the 1970's through 2012. Holmes began his involvement in water policy as a farmer and active member of his community in southwest Kansas. In many respects, his experiences reflect the water-energy nexus. Holmes describes how he had observed cities and irrigators mining water in southwest Kansas. He recalls developing a comprehensive understanding of water issues by interviewing the managers of the state’s water resources.

On September 9, 2020, Joanne Flanders interviewed Vice Admiral Paul G. Gaffney II (USN, Ret.) via Zoom for a retrospective oral history. Gaffney reflects on his early life in Attleboro, Massachusetts, his family's Irish-American and German heritage, and his formative experiences, including his interest in oceanography sparked by summers on Martha’s Vineyard.

On September 11, 2020, Joanne Flanders interviewed Dr. Jyotika Virmani via the Zoom platform. Dr. Virmani participated from Los Angeles, California, while the interviewer was in Bethesda, Maryland. The interview covers Dr. Virmani's early life, including her childhood in Manchester, UK, her family’s migration experiences, and her multicultural upbringing.

On September 18, 2020, Joanne Flanders interviewed Dr. Larry Mayer. The interview focuses on Dr. Mayer's background, including his family’s immigration history from Germany to escape Nazi persecution and their settlement in New York City. Mayer reflects on his upbringing in the Bronx during the 1950s and 60s, his early passion for oceanography, and the pivotal moments that guided his academic and professional pursuits.

This is an oral history recording of Mr. Joel Garcia, a pastor in Refugio, Texas, interviewed by Richard Quiroz. Mr. Garcia talks about his role as a pastor at Joy Ministries; his experiences with hurricanes; his role in providing shelter and resources to the community after Hurricane Harvey; and his reflection on these events.

This is an oral history interview of Elena Crawford interviewed by Justin Bucholtz. Elena discusses her experience with Hurricane Harvey in 2017; the harrowing return to her home after evacuation; the struggle of recovery after disaster; and the recovery of the town and people of Port Aransas, Texas.

Dr. Dara Orbach is a marine mammal biologist with a unique journey into the field. Unlike many of her peers who knew from a young age that they wanted to work with marine mammals, Dr. Orbach's path was more indirect and driven by her love for the coastal lifestyle. Originally from Toronto, Canada, she completed her undergraduate studies at the University of British Columbia in Vancouver, where she fell in love with the coastal way of life.

This is an oral history recording of Martin Sanchez interviewed by Rene Ruiz. Martin Sanchez talks about his personal experiences of being in Hurricane Celia in 1970, when he had just turned ten years old.

On September 30, 2020, Joanne Flanders interviewed Dr. Shirley Pomponi for the Ocean Exploration and Research Collection. Dr. Pomponi discusses her extensive career in ocean exploration, natural product discovery, and her work with human-occupied vehicles. Born in Wilmington, Delaware, in 1949, and raised in Penns Grove, New Jersey, Dr. Pomponi shares insights into her Italian-American heritage and early influences, including her parents' experiences during World War II and her mother's work as a nurse for migrant worker children.

Dr. Elbert "Joe" Friday, Jr. was born in De Queen, Arkansas, in 1939.  Elbert graduated from high school in Midwest City, Oklahoma, and attended the University of Oklahoma, where he studied engineering physics and graduated in 1961.  Upon graduation, Joe received his commission as 2nd Lieutenant in the Air Force and went on to complete his master's and PhD in meteorology from the University of Oklahoma.  Friday served for 20 years in the Air Force, including a tour in Vietnam as Weather Detachment Commander.

Interview with Peter Lewit, Chief Hydrographic Survey Tech at NOAA

Walter Japp, born on December 28, 1940, in Duluth, MN, spent most of his life in Miami and St. Petersburg, Florida. He was a veteran of the US Army. Walter graduated from the University of Miami with a degree in marine biology. For 35 years, he worked as a coral reef ecologist for the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission. After retirement, Walter co-founded Lithophyte Research, focusing on evaluating and replacing damaged coral reefs.

Tori Thomas, 29 years old at the time of the interview, is a deckhand in Point Judith, RI. Despite growing up far from the coast with no exposure to fisheries, she got a job as a fisheries observer after college, and then decided to try her luck as a deckhand.

Scope and Content Note

James Leonard, 34 years old at the time of the interview, is the owner-operator of the F/V Briana James, an inshore dragger in Point Judith, RI. James comes from a fishing family and spent his twenties working on large offshore freezer vessels to save money. Then, with indispensable moral support from his wife and the boat-building expertise of his extended family, he brought a boat down from Nova Scotia and spent over a year rebuilding it for dragging in Rhode Island.

Scope and Content Note

Interview with Floyd McLaughlin

LaToya earned her Ph.D. through the NOAA Environmental Cooperative Science Center at Florida A&M University in Tallahassee. She conducted research in collaboration with the NOAA Air Resources Laboratory for an interdisciplinary dissertation focusing on atmospheric deposition of pollutants and their impact on ecosystems. Her study had implications for both human and environmental health.

Gary Shigenaka is a third-generation Japanese American born and raised in Lake Forest, Illinois.  During World War II, Gary's father, other relatives, and over 100,000 other Japanese Americans were forcibly relocated and incarcerated in internment camps. Following the war, Gary's father and mother moved to Chicago's suburbs, where Gary grew up.  Gary studied oceanography at the University of Washington, graduating in 1976.

Laurel Bryant was born in Mount Vernon, Washington, and raised in Seattle.  She attended Shoreline Community College for two years and then graduated from the University of Washington with a degree in Political Science and Economics with a concentration in Environmental Sciences.  She came to Washington, DC, in 1989 and worked for the United States House of Representatives Merchant Marine and Fisheries Committee, the predecessor to the House Natural Resources Committee.

Rear Admiral William Stubblefield was born and raised in Medina, Tennessee.  He attended Memphis State University and graduated in 1962 with a major in secondary education and a minor in chemistry.  After graduation, Stubblefield was commissioned in the United States Navy and attended Naval Officer Candidate School in Rhode Island.  He served on a minesweeper and ice breaker at sea, operating all over the globe.

Stephanie Hryzan, 35 years old at the time of the interview, is a deckhand on draggers in Point Judith, RI. Despite having a father in the industry, she did not grow up fishing and instead went to college before working in various sales jobs. However, she has always had a deep love of sea creatures, and after a year as a scallop observer, she decided in her early 30s to take part in the inaugural cohort of the Commercial Fisheries Center of RI's Commercial Fishing Apprenticeship Program. 

Mike Dealy is a graduate of Wichita State and Fort Hays State universities. He is a professional geologist licensed to practice in Kansas. Mike began his career in groundwater management in 1979 as staff hydrologist for the Southwest Kansas Groundwater Management District No. 3 in Garden City. From 1984 to 2006, he served as Manager of the Equus Beds Groundwater Management District No. 2 in Halstead. Mike was the Manager of the Wichita Well Sample Library of the Kansas Geological Survey from 2006 to 2021.

Lisa plays a pivotal role in managing major incident responses within the Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary. From July 2016 to September 2018, Lisa held the position of Deputy Superintendent at the Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary. Prior to that, she served as the Damage Assessment and Resource Protection Coordinator for NOAA's Office of National Marine Sanctuaries since 1998. In this capacity, Lisa was in charge of system-wide coordination for contingency planning, emergency response, damage assessment, restoration, and enforcement efforts.

Ms. Louisa Koch was born in Boston in 1959 and raised in Brookline, Massachusetts.  She attended Middlebury College in Vermont and graduated with a degree in Physics in 1982.  After working as a consultant for Booz Allen and Hamilton and a researcher for the National Academy of Sciences, Louisa went on to earn her master's degree in Electrical Engineering from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology in 1987. She started her career in Washington working for the Joint Economic Committee of the US Congress as a staff economist.

Tim is a native of Tampa, Florida and the son of school teachers. He graduated from Florida State University in Marine Biology. Earning two graduate degrees at Louisiana State University, he was awarded a Fellowship in the NOAA Sea Grant Program and worked as a staffer in the U.S. Senate. He added another four years of Senate staff experience before joining the Washington office of Asea Brown Boveri (ABB Inc) Corporation, a manager in public, private infrastructure contacts and projects. Tim rejoined NOAA when offered a position in it’s headquarters offices.

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.

Dr. Larry McKinney is a seasoned scientist and environmentalist with a rich background in resource protection and environmental management. Born and raised in West Texas, McKinney comes from a family of original settlers who were primarily ranchers and farmers. His early life was spent in the small town of Coahoma, near Midland, Odessa, where his family had been on their home place for over one hundred and twenty-five years. McKinney's upbringing on a farm, where his family primarily grew cotton, instilled in him a strong work ethic and a deep appreciation for the outdoors.

Don DeMaria – Commercial Fisherman/Diver

Dr. Jennifer Beseres Pollack is a marine biologist and the Chair for Coastal Conservation and Restoration at the Harte Research Institute. She was born in Minnesota and grew up surrounded by lakes, which sparked her interest in nature and ecology. She pursued her undergraduate degree in environmental science at Northwestern University, where she carved out a niche for herself within ecology. Dr. Pollack gained a variety of experiences through internships, including one in marine science that solidified her love for the field.

Dr. Crabtree has served as the regional administrator of NOAA Fisheries Service's Southeast Regional Office since January 2003. Previously, Dr. Crabtree was a senior research scientist at the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission's Florida Marine Research Institute, and the director of the Commission's Division of Marine Fisheries. He has served these state and federal fishery management agencies for over 15 years, after beginning his career as a self-employed fishing guide in the Florida Keys and Everglades National Park.

Otto Rutten is the Associate Operations Director at the Aquarius Reef Base underwater laboratory in Key Largo, Florida. Born and raised in Key Largo, Rutten developed a passion for marine biology from a young age, inspired by watching Jacques Cousteau on television. Despite his early fascination with marine science, Rutten pursued engineering at North Carolina State University and later worked for the North Carolina Division of Marine Fisheries while completing a master’s program at the University of North Carolina at Wilmington (UNCW).

Dr. Richard Feely grew up in Saint Paul, Minnesota. Influenced by his love of the outdoors and exposure to Jacques Cousteau, Feely knew he would grow up to be an environmental scientist as early as the eighth grade. He earned his degree from St. Thomas University in his hometown, graduating with a degree in Chemistry in 1969. Feely then earned his master's and Ph.D. in Chemical Oceanography from Texas A&M University. He has worked for the Pacific Marine Environmental Laboratory in Seattle, Washington, from 1974 until the present.

Dave Heinemann earned his bachelor's degree in Political Science and German from Augustana College, Sioux Falls, South Dakota in 1967, and attended graduate school in International Relations at the University of Kansas. He received his Juris Doctorate from Washburn University School of Law in 1973. Heinemann was first elected to the Kansas House of Representatives from Garden City in 1968. He was Speaker pro tem of the House two terms (1985-1988) and chaired several committees including the Energy and Natural Resources Committee.

Donald J. (DJ) King is a lobsterman, fisherman, shellfish, and seaweed farmer living in Branford, Connecticut. He grew up in Branford and his father was in the truck transportation business. He got involved in the family business alongside fishing. In 1969, at the age of 10, his father introduced lobster fishing to him. DJ started with a small boat, where he did not have any devices to catch the lobsters in shallow water. At the age of 12, he made $ 300 by selling lobsters for an Italian wedding.

In his role as Director of the Pacific Islands Fisheries Science Center, Dr. Seki provides the science direction and oversight of research activities that support stewardship of living marine resources in the vast expanse of the Pacific Islands Region. Since joining NOAA Fisheries in 1980, Dr. Seki has conducted extensive fisheries, oceanographic, and ecosystem research on many marine species in the Pacific. He has authored or co-authored more than 40 scientific papers and participated in over 20 domestic and international research surveys.

"[Capt.]Will Benson grew up on the waters of the Florida Keys. With a push pole in one hand and a camera in the other, Will has guided his clients and his audience to amazing memories on the flats and on film. His lifelong passion for the ocean is the heart and soul of WorldANGLING. As a professional guide he knows what it takes to create unforgettable experiences on the water and brings an immense dedication to the guide profession.

Eben Nieuwkerk, 29 years old at the time of the interview, is the owner-operator of two gillnet and lobster boats in Portland and Kennebunkport, ME.

Scope and Content Note

Ken Murgo, 31 years old at the time of his interview, is a diversified fisherman in Narragansett Bay, RI. With his father, Ken fishes for conchs, lobsters, quahogs, and a variety of different finfish on the F/V Johnny B. In his interview, he talks about his parents' expectations that he would enter medical school after college, his inevitable return to full-time fishing in spite of these expectations, and the interest he feels in fisheries science and cooperative research.

Scope and Content Note

Lucas Raymond, 28 years old at the time of the interview, is a deckhand and relief captain on the F/V Witchcraft in Rye, NH.

Scope and Content Note

John Peck is a native Kansan and graduated from Kansas State University in 1968 with a degree in civil engineering. After working three years for the US Public Health Service and the EPA in Washington, DC, he earned his law degree from the University of Kansas School of Law in 1974. Peck practiced law in Manhattan, Kansas from 1974 to 1978 and joined the KU Law Faculty in 1978. He taught contracts, land transactions, water law, and family law. Peck is a nationally recognized authority on Kansas water law. After forty-one years of teaching at KU, he retired in 2019.

Gordon Colvin is the former director of marine resources for the Department of Environmental Conservation and is currently retired in Florida. His decades of experience concerning not just Long Island fishing but New England fishing as a whole makes his knowledge exceptionally useful. Mr. Colvin’s background in studying fisheries and regulations is extensive and he continues to contribute to the field today by supporting NOAA’s Marine Recreational Information Program.

Brendan Damm, 28 years old at the time of the interview, is a deckhand on lobster and gillnet boats in Montauk, NY. Despite growing up as the son of a fisherman, he never enjoyed fishing until he came back home from college with a new attitude and decided to make it his full-time occupation.

Scope and Content Note

Recreational fisherman, lobsterman, and writer, David Fox shares his thoughts about lobster fishing in the Long Island Sound. While the sport of fishing is a large part of the interest for Fox, he gets the most joy out of educating others — especially children — about the wonders that exist right in their own waters. By bringing families and children out on his boat to catch lobsters, he enjoys sharing with others the significance and natural beauty of the Long Island Sound watershed.

Joyce Wolf was active in environmental organizations in Minnesota before moving to Kansas in 1982. In 1985, she helped form the Kansas Clean Air Coalition, and in 1988, began representing the Kansas Audubon Council in the Statehouse. Among the issues before the Kansas Legislature during Wolf's as a lobbyist was funding of the State Water Plan and obtaining sufficient water for the Cheyenne Bottoms wetland area. Wolf and the Audubon Society were members of a coalition of organizations with similar environmental goals.

Colleen Bouffard has been with the Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection since 1996. Starting as a seasonal employee — after graduating from Roger Williams University in Rhode Island — Bouffard is now the supervising fisheries biologist in the marine fisheries program of the Fisheries Division of the CT DEEP.  She currently oversees the recreational and commercial fishing statistics programs.

John German is a lifelong fisherman based in Long Island. He has decades of experience with fishing, especially with lobster, as he is one of the few people left with a lobster fishing license. He is an invaluable source of information concerning lobsters as well as Long Island fishing as a whole, as he was a firsthand witness to the 1990s lobster die-off and has spent his entire life fishing in the region.

Kim McKown works (now retired)  for the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation, where she is the leader of the Marine Invertebrates and Protected Resources Unit. She has decades of experience with the NYDEC, and in 2003, shortly after the Long Island Sound lobster die-off, Kim was tasked with overseeing lobster management for the department. For five years she conducted lobster surveys in Western Long Island Sound, as well as worked alongside the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission to assess changes in lobster populations.

Dr. Donna Shaver is a renowned wildlife biologist who has dedicated her career to the preservation of endangered species, with a particular focus on Kemp’s ridley sea turtles. She grew up in upstate New York, where her early interest in wildlife biology was influenced by her grandfather's love for nature and his saltwater aquariums. Dr. Shaver attended Corcoran High School and later pursued her undergraduate studies at Cornell University, where she majored in traditional wildlife biology. However, her passion always lay in the recovery efforts of threatened and endangered species.

A native Kansan, Tracy Streeter grew up on a diversified family farm in Brown County, Kansas and graduated from Horton High School. He earned undergraduate degrees from Highland Community College and Missouri Western State University and a graduate degree from the University of Kansas. Streeter served eight years on the Valley Falls Board of Education and is a private pilot.

Captain John Callahan was born in Brooklyn, New York, in 1944. His family moved to New Jersey, where he attended St. Joseph’s Grammar School and graduated from Don Bosco Preparatory High School in Ramsey, New Jersey, in 1961. John was the first in his family to attend college. He went to the State University of New York Maritime College and graduated with a degree in marine engineering before earning his law degree from Catholic University in 1971. Captain Callahan started his career as a naval architect/marine engineer for M.

Dr. Louis W. Uccellini was the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s Assistant Administrator for Weather Services, and Director of the National Weather Service (2013-2022). In this role, he was responsible for the day-to-day civilian weather operations for the United States, its territories, adjacent waters, and ocean areas.

On September 30, 2021, Molly Graham interviewed David Kennedy remotely for the NOAA 50th Oral History Project. Kennedy, born in Oskaloosa, Iowa, on June 24, 1947, has a background in anthropology and served as a pilot in the U.S. Air Force before transitioning to a career in environmental research and response. His military service included flying C-130 aircraft in Alaska, supporting scientific research missions in Greenland, and working with the National Science Foundation.

Joe Trungale is an environmental engineer with a focus on water issues. Born in Chicago, Trungale moved around the Midwest and East Coast before settling in Dallas for high school. After high school, he attended Georgetown University in Washington, D.C., where he earned an English degree. Following his undergraduate studies, Trungale spent time traveling and volunteering in Latin America, specifically in Nicaragua, where he worked on water issues.

Myron Hess is a native Texan, born in 1955, who grew up in the small town of Muenster, North Texas, near the Red River. His early life was spent on a farm, where he developed a deep appreciation for the natural world and the importance of water for both agriculture and the environment. This early interest in water and ecology influenced his later career in environmental law, with a particular focus on water and freshwater inflow issues in Texas.

Mary Kicza was born in Albuquerque, New Mexico in 1959.  She earned a bachelor’s degree in Electrical and Electronics Engineering from California State University and a masters degree in Business Administration from the Florida Institute of Technology.  Mary started her federal career as a coop student working as a civil servant for the Air Force at McClellan Air Force Base in Sacramento, California.  She worked at McClellan as an engineer developing software for automated test systems supporting Air Force satellite systems.  In 1982, Mary came to work for NASA where she

Helen joined the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) in 1988 as Director of the Office of Satellite Data Processing and Distribution, in the NOAA Satellite and Information Service.  For more than 15 years she directed the operation of a space and Earth-based system that processed and distributed real-time data gathered by NOAA and other environmental satellites to support activities such as weather forecasting, ocean and climate monitoring, and satellite-assisted search and rescue. 

Clair Hebert Marceaux, born on September 9th, 1977, is a native of Cameron, Louisiana, a coastal village in Cameron Parish. She spent her early life in Cameron, before moving to Lafayette for 11 years to pursue her undergraduate and graduate studies and later work as a teacher. Marceaux holds an undergraduate degree in English from the University of Louisiana at Lafayette and studied British literature in graduate school. She began her career as a teacher at the Episcopal School of Acadiana and later at St. Thomas More Catholic High School.

"Dr. Sim Aberson is a meteorologist at NOAA’s Hurricane Research Division, located at AOML in Miami, FL. His research has focused on observing systems to give Hurricane Specialists at the National Hurricane Center information to improve their hurricane forecasts. He participates in NOAA’s annual Hurricane Field Program and has worked with different observing platforms, especially dropwindsondes, to optimize sampling from Hurricane Hunter Aircraft and the way the data are assimilated into forecast models.

Jacqueline Mary Richard, born on August 30, 1980, in Naperville, Illinois, is a prominent advocate for coastal restoration in Louisiana. She moved to New Orleans to pursue her graduate studies at the University of New Orleans, initially intending to become a vertebrate paleontologist. However, her academic journey took an unexpected turn when she took a class on coastal restoration with Denise Reed. This class inspired her to contribute to the cause of coastal restoration, leading her to volunteer and learn more about the coast.

Richie Blink, born on August 31, 1986, in New Orleans, is a native of Louisiana with a deep-rooted connection to the state's wetlands and coastal ecosystems. He spent his childhood in Empire, Louisiana, a small fishing village located about 60 miles south of New Orleans. His father, a commercial fisherman, introduced him to the intricacies of the delta ecosystem through various fishing activities such as oystering, shrimping, and crab trapping. This early exposure to the wetlands fostered a profound understanding of the delta's systems and their importance to the local community.

On October 19, 2021, Molly Graham interviewed Nezette Rydell remotely for the NOAA 50th Oral History Project. Rydell, born in 1955 in San Antonio, Texas, pursued a career in meteorology, influenced by early experiences with extreme weather events. She earned a degree in meteorology from Texas A&M University, where she was among the few women in the program. In the interview, Rydell discusses her formative years, family background, and the influence of the space race on her educational interests.

Kellyn Lacour-Conant is a dedicated environmentalist with a deep-rooted connection to the wetlands of Louisiana. Born on April 13th, 1993 in Houston, Texas, she spent her childhood summers in Louisiana, where her family originates from. Her early experiences with the water, both in Houston, the "Bayou City", and in Louisiana, where her family engaged in fishing and hunting, instilled in her a profound appreciation for wetland ecosystems. This appreciation eventually led her to pursue a career in environmental conservation.

Victoria Sagrera Bourque, born on December 31, 1990, in Lafayette, Louisiana, is a passionate advocate for coastal restoration in Louisiana. She grew up in Mouton Cove, a small area just south of Abbeville, Louisiana, and north of Intracoastal City, in a family with strong agricultural roots. Her childhood memories are filled with experiences on the farm, from following her grandfather around to testing the soil for salinity after storms. These experiences, coupled with her coastal upbringing, fueled her passion for coastal restoration.

Mary Glackin was born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, in 1954.  She graduated from the University of Maryland, College Park, in 1982 with a degree in computer science and coursework in meteorology.  Mary started her career with General Electric before coming to the National Weather Service in 1997, where she worked for twenty years, working her way from Computer Specialist to Meteorologist to Program Manager for the Advanced Weather Forecast Information System.

Johnny Bennett is a seasoned commercial fisherman from Georgia with a rich family history in the industry. His first experience on a boat was at the tender age of two weeks, marking the beginning of his lifelong involvement in fishing. Bennett's passion for the industry is evident in his preference for the solitude and independence it offers. However, he has witnessed significant changes over the years, many of which he attributes to environmental and regulatory shifts.

Brande Bennett is a seasoned fisherwoman from Brunswick, Georgia, who has been involved in the fishing industry since her childhood. Her involvement in the industry is generational, with her father owning the Dora F, a boat she has been fishing on since she was four years old. Bennett also owned her own boat, the Brande Ray, which she sold a few years back. She has always preferred the role of a striker over that of a captain, despite being capable of driving the boats and performing all necessary tasks.

Andrew Ross is a seasoned commercial fisherman based in Brunswick, Georgia. He has been involved in the shrimping industry since he was 20 years old, initially working as a deckhand on his father's boat, the Burn East 2. As his father aged, Ross took over the role of Captain and has been operating the boat ever since. The Burn East 2, a wooden boat built in 1944, is one of the oldest boats in the area. Ross's family has a long history in the marine business, with his father involved in bridge construction and his great grandfather building jetties in the area.

Hinton and Traci Arnsdorff are a married couple who own and operate a home shrimping business. Hinton Arnsdorff has a long history with boats, having owned and operated many throughout his life. His first boat, the Bunny B, was a forty-foot vessel that he ran when he was about fifteen years old. After two years, he sold it and got the West Wind. He has also run the Grey Ghost, which he has had for over twenty years. Other boats he has run include the Notre Dame, which sunk off of Saint Katherines, and Ms. Kim, which sank off of Key West.

Thurmond and Marie Kern are a married couple residing in Brunswick, Georgia. Thurmond has had a long history with shrimping and has owned several boats over the course of his life. His passion for fishing is evident in his inability to retire, leading him to purchase another boat, the Lady Raven, named after his granddaughter. Marie, while not directly involved in the fishing, has been a supportive partner throughout their journey. The couple has witnessed significant changes in the fishing industry and has concerns about its future in their area.

Lindsey Parker is a long-standing member of the commercial fishing community in Georgia. He has a rich history as a commercial fisherman and has been involved in various projects at the UGA Marine Extension. Over the years, he has captained several boats, including the Georgia Bulldog, the Morning Star, and the Southern Comfort. His career spans over 36 years, during which he has formed numerous friendships within the fishing community. Parker is known for his candidness and willingness to share his experiences and insights into the fishing industry.

Jonathan Bennett is a commercial fisherman based in Brunswick, Georgia. Born into a family deeply involved in the fishing industry, Bennett has been engaged in commercial fishing since birth. His grandfather owned boats and his uncles ran bait businesses, providing him with a rich background in the industry from a young age. After graduating, Bennett began running boats and has since dedicated his life to the profession. He has worked on several vessels, with his most recent being The Flying Cloud, an 85 by 24-foot boat with a twin Caterpillar unit.

Joseph Rauls is a seasoned fisherman from Brunswick, Georgia, who has been involved in the shrimping industry for several decades. His journey into the world of fishing began in 1969 when his father bought a shrimp boat. Rauls was drawn to the entrepreneurial spirit of his father, who always found ways to make a living, including shrimping. Over the years, Rauls has witnessed significant changes in the fishing industry, particularly in the design and operation of fishing vessels.

Darrell Gale is a seasoned commercial fisherman from Darien, Georgia. He comes from a long lineage of watermen, tracing back to Sir William Gale who served for King Arthur. His family migrated from the Isle of Man to the United States, where they settled in Darien, Georgia. Gale's grandfather worked for King George, rafting logs and fishing during off times. His father also followed the same path, serving in the Navy under Halsey before returning to shrimping. Gale himself has been on the waters since he was small, becoming a shrimp boat captain at the age of fourteen.

Jimmy Moore is a retired local fisherman from McIntosh County, Georgia. He has a rich history of working on fishing vessels and has been a part of the commercial fishing industry for many years. Moore owned a fishing vessel for twenty years before selling it to a man named Bill. He currently co-owns a boat named Brenda K with Bill. Despite being retired for twenty years, Moore's experiences and stories from his time in the industry provide valuable insights into the changes and advancements that have occurred over the years.

Herbert McIver, also known as "Captain Truck," is a seasoned commercial fisherman from McIntosh County, Georgia. His fishing career began at a young age, around eight or nine years old, when he started accompanying his father on fishing trips. Despite initial bouts of seasickness, McIver continued to work with his father every summer, eventually taking on more responsibilities as he grew older. His early fishing experiences were diverse, catching a variety of species including crabs, shrimp, whiting, flounder, and other smaller fish.

Bill Harris is a seasoned fisherman and co-owner of Sapelo Shrimp Company based in Darien, Georgia. He has been involved in the fishing industry for several decades, having bought his first boat in 1989. Over the years, Harris has owned and operated several fishing vessels, with his most recent being the Brenda K, formerly known as the Lang's Pride. Harris serves as the captain of his boats, but he also manages operations on the dock, including unloading shrimp from other fishermen, selling shrimp, ice, and fuel.

Calvin Lang is a third-generation shrimper and fisher based in Brunswick, Georgia. He has been involved in the fishing industry for several years, following in the footsteps of his father and grandfather. Lang currently owns two fishing vessels, the Miss Peggy and the Fifth Day, both of which he operates with his wife, Lisa. He previously owned the Lang's Pride, a 75-foot St. Augustine trawler freezer boat, which he sold due to difficulties in finding a crew.

Charlie Phillips is a seasoned fisherman and business owner based in McIntosh County, Georgia. He has been involved in the fishing industry since his high school years, when he began working on shrimp boats during the summer. By the time he was a senior in high school, he was running shrimp boats on the weekends for his father. His commitment to the fishing industry led him to leave college when a professor insisted he attend a final exam on June 1, a crucial day for shrimp fishing. From that point on, Phillips became a full-time shrimp boat captain.