Robin works in the Beaufort, NC NOAA lab. He has a Bachelor’s degree in fisheries and wildlife science from North Carolina State University and a Master’s degree in zoology also from NC State. Robin says he decided to become a marine scientist when he moved to Wilmington, NC and fell in love with the sea. Robin’s duties include fieldwork in the Florida and Chesapeake Bays monitoring fishes regarding sea grass habitats and marsh restoration. In the lab he weighs, measures and records information about the fish he has caught. He then analyzes and records his findings. He is very interested in larval fish growth rates related to the warm water eddies that spin off the Gulf Stream.

Brian has a bachelor’s degree in fisheries and wildlife science from North Carolina State. He worked for CMAST (Center for Marine Sciences and Technology) at NC State after he graduated and when that ended he was offered a temporary position at the Beaufort Lab. He had planned on taking that position then going on to graduate school when it ended. However, he was eventually offered a full-time position and decided to take it.

His father was a fisheries biologist but he said he thinks the main reason he became interested in fisheries and wildlife was because he grew up on a lake and spent a lot of time fishing. Originally he was interested in freshwater fisheries but working at CMAST turned his interest to marine science.

Brian participates in a lot of field work, including the preparation for the cruises, the sorting and identifying of the samples and the data analysis. He said, “I never imagined that work could be like this, it’s so refreshing and Jon [Hare] is a great mentor and a great boss.” The only thing he could think of that’s remotely negative about his job is the governmental beaurocracy and office politics.

While in school, Mike volunteered with numerous agencies. He worked for State Wildlife Management with endangered species, Camp Lejeune on a deer harvest project, Ft. Bragg and a turtle rescue project to name a few. When he graduated he sent out resumes and applications and was hired by NOAA’s National Marine Fisheries Service. He still loves it.

His duties include supporting the principal investigators on cruises such as this one. This entails operating the MOCNESS, operating boats, repairing and maintaining equipment and compiling and analyzing data. He likes working with different equipment, likes the people he works with and enjoys seeing the final product when all the data has been analyzed and the results are published. Mike also sketches many of the fish species that he works with. There’s nothing he doesn’t like about his job but his advice would be to make sure you don’t get seasick, are able to live in small quarters, and are able to be away from friends and family for weeks at a time.

Jon received his Bachelor’s degree in Biology from Wesleyan University in Connecticut and his PH.D. in Oceanography at NY State University at Stoneybrook. He had always been interested in the ocean and after he got his B.S. he decided to volunteer at Woods Hole Oceanographic Institute as a technician. This experience led him to pursue his Ph.D. in Oceanography.

His duties include supervising the Fisheries, Oceanography and Ecology Team at the Beaufort lab. The team of about 15 is made up federal and contract employees, students and post docs. He also leads research projects and spends a lot of time at the computer writing scientific papers and analyzing and compiling data. He feels that it’s very important that scientists have good communication skills.

He has always been interested in nature, ecology and animals but he didn’t focus on the marine aspect of the environment until college. He took an ichthyology (the study of fish) class that he enjoyed very much and said the professor had a lot to do with that interest. He also had a 5-week marine science field course, during which he lived on the coast and got hooked on marine science.

While working on his master’s degree, Frank spent some time at the NOAA Beaufort Lab working on a research project. He was using a computer model to describe the vertical distribution and behavior of larval fishes in the Gulf of Mexico. After he graduated he sent a resume to the Beaufort Lab and was offered the post-doc position in which he is currently employed.

Some of Frank’s duties at the lab include overseeing the sorting of samples, working on numerous research projects, learning to create computer models from data, describing and predicting different variables regarding larval fishes and observing the characteristics of samples.

Frank likes the people he works with and the working environment itself. He says everyone always pitches in to help each other. What he doesn’t like is that his position is temporary and he knows he’ll have to move on eventually.

Some of Marcy’s duties include sorting and identifying zooplankton, acquiring and analyzing chlorophyll samples and help write cruise reports. She’ll be working this summer in a marine protected area in the Dry Tortugas.

Emma’s duties at the lab include a research project on fish energetics. What’s that? Well, they raise gray snapper and carefully monitor their food intake, their weight and length and their metabolic rates. They constantly vary the salinity and temperature of the water as well. The purpose of the study is to find the best salinity and temperature for optimum growth of this species. They hope this research will help them restore Florida Bay. She also participates in missions like the one we’re on now and helps sort various samples collected for research.

Rachel’s organization, Project Oceanica is located on the campus of the College of Charleston in Charleston, SC. Oceanica is funded by NOAA’s National Ocean Service. She has a Bachelor’s degree in both Public Relations and Marine Biology. Rachel decided she wanted to be a marine scientist when she was very young. She was always fascinated by TV shows and books that anything to do with ocean creatures.

Rachel participates on research cruises throughout the southeast and helps create educational and outreach products from the science operations conducted on the cruises. She also helps instruct high school students on one-day research cruises and helps run the administrative aspect of Project Oceanica.