Thurmond and Marie Kern are a couple deeply rooted in the commercial fishing industry, with a particular focus on shrimping. Thurmond hails from a family with a longstanding tradition in the industry, indicating a generational involvement that has shaped his life and career. His experiences are marked by a profound understanding of the challenges and transformations within the commercial fishing sector. Marie, alongside Thurmond, has been an integral part of the fishing community, contributing her perspective and witnessing the evolution of the industry over the years.

Marty Collins is a seasoned commercial fisherman with a rich history of working on fishing vessels. He began his career as a captain at the young age of sixteen and has since worked on numerous boats, including the Blackbeard and Cindy Marie. He has been with his current company for nine years and has spent the last four years on his current vessel, the Lady Denise, a 96-foot steel hull freezer boat. Prior to the Lady Denise, he worked on the fishing vessel Forgiven, which was named after the wife of the preacher he worked for.

Interview with Michael Edward Vernon.

Michael Sullivan is a seasoned commercial fisherman based in Brunswick, Georgia. With a career spanning several decades, Sullivan has owned and operated multiple fishing vessels, including his most recent acquisition, a 60-foot research vessel previously owned by The Department of Natural Resources. Prior to this, he owned and operated The Flying Cloud, an 88-foot North Carolina built boat, which was one of the largest boats on the East Coast in terms of power and size when he purchased it in 1986.

Michael Vernon is a seasoned fisherman based in Eulonia, Georgia. He has extensive experience working on various fishing vessels, having served on approximately ten to twelve boats throughout his career. Currently, he is the captain and partner on the Miss Doris, a position he has held for the past three years. Prior to this, he worked on the Golden Phase, one of the oldest boats in the county, for the longest duration. His experience spans from North Carolina to Key West, with stints on boats such as the Lady Denise, Megan Elaine, Daddy's Girl, and War Horse.

On February 28, 2025, Kristin Meewen and Logan Collins interviewed Mildred Boone at Boone Seafood in Darien, McIntosh County, Georgia, as part of the Dock Stories project. Mildred Boone was born and raised on a farm and married into the Boone family in 1961. Her in-laws purchased the dock that would become Boone Seafood, and although she was not initially involved in dock operations, she later worked as a secretary there in the 1980s. Boone has remained closely connected to the dock for decades through her family’s multigenerational involvement in commercial shrimping.

Morris Butler is a seasoned shrimper from McIntosh County, Georgia. He has spent over forty years in the shrimping industry, working on various fishing vessels such as The Sundown, The Turning Point, The Thunderbolt, The Sea Walker, and The Four Ladies. His career in shrimping began at a young age, introduced to the industry by his father. Despite health issues forcing him into early retirement, Butler maintains a close relationship with the shrimping community, reflecting fondly on his experiences and the camaraderie among fellow shrimpers.

Interview with Morris Butler.

On February 27, 2025, Kristin Meewen and Lilah Henderson interviewed Peggy Skinner at Skinner Seafood in McIntosh, Georgia, for the Dock Stories oral hisory project. Peggy Skinner is part of a long-standing commercial fishing family that has operated Skinner Seafood for decades. She and a group of women—primarily family members and spouses of fishermen—have historically run the dock, managing shrimp unloading, fuel, and sales operations. Her husband, Ricky, began shrimping at age thirteen and remains deeply involved in maintaining the dock infrastructure.

Interview with Renee Audrey Jones.