Interview with charter boat captain Matt Davie, of Inshore Addict Charters.

Scope and Content Note

Max Mayfield was born on September 19, 1948, in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. He attended the University of Oklahoma, earning a Bachelor of Science in Meteorology. He began his career with the National Weather Service in 1972 and held various positions within the organization before becoming the director of the National Hurricane Center in 2000. Mayfield pursued further education at Florida State University, obtaining a Master of Science degree in Meteorology. During his tenure, he provided expertise and guidance during numerous significant hurricanes, including Hurricane Katrina in 2005.

Melanie Cooper Covell is the seventh generation to call Apalachicola home. Born in 1968, she and her four siblings grew up working at their parents' business, Cooper's Seafood. Melanie has been shucking oysters since she was fifteen years old. The family business closed in 1994, when Melanie's father, Fred Cooper, passed away. Still, Melanie continued to shuck. And she painted houses too. In 2004 Melanie married Larry Covell. Together, they opened the Wheelhouse Raw Bar in downtown Apalachicola, where Melanie's brother, Joey, is the cook. His mullet dip is unrivaled.

Merle Stanfill is an individual with a deep connection to the marine environment, particularly around the Florida Keys, where he has observed significant ecological changes over a period of seventeen years. His experiences and observations are rooted in his engagement with the local fish stocks, water temperatures, algae populations, and coral formations.

This interview with Michael Colby was conducted as part of the Recreational Fishermen of the Greater Tampa Bay Voices from the Fisheries Project. This project is a collection of oral histories of recreational fishermen and fisheries managers located in the greater Tampa Bay area of Florida. Interviews in this project were conducted by eighth grade marine science students at Admiral Farragut Academy.

Michael Landa was born in Cuba in 1949 and immigrated to the United States in 1957 at the age of eight. Settling near the Miami River in Miami, Florida, Landa developed an early interest in fishing despite having no family background in the industry. By 1974, he began his career as a commercial fisherman, initially focusing on crawfishing. In 1982, he acquired his own boat and expanded his fishing activities to include ballyhoo and hook-and-line fishing.

This interview with Michael Larkin was conducted as part of the Recreational Fishermen of the Greater Tampa Bay Voices from the Fisheries Project. This project is a collection of oral histories of recreational fishermen and fisheries managers located in the greater Tampa Bay area of Florida. Interviews in this project were conducted by eighth grade marine science students at Admiral Farragut Academy.

Mike Davis is a commercial fisherman residing in Cortez.

Scope and Content Note

Mimi and Simon Stafford are long-time residents of Key West, Florida, with deep ties to the local fishing community. Their lives have been intricately woven into the fabric of this coastal town, known for its vibrant culture and rich maritime history. The Staffords have witnessed the transformation of Key West from a sleepy fishing village to a bustling tourist destination. Throughout their lives, they have been actively involved in the fishing industry, which has been both their livelihood and passion.

Born in 1916, Monette Hicks grew up in Eastpoint. In those days, boats didn't have motors, there weren't any bridges over the bay, and there were no houses on St. George Island. Seafood was all anyone knew. Monette's family worked the bay harvesting oysters. She quit school at the age of twelve, when she was big enough to shuck. Oystermen harvested their catch nearby on Cat Point and Porters Bar. Shuckers would work daylight to dark, without electricity. In 1933, at the age of sixteen, Monette married a shrimper, Louis Hullman Hicks.