Reflections on a Career Unplanned

Abstract

Sometimes life takes unexpected turns. I never planned to be a marine biologist; yet, after a long and unpredictable journey, that’s exactly where I found myself. After obtaining my B.S. in Fishery Biology from Colorado State University, I found myself meandering from job to job like a golden retriever following some vague scent. At first, I was hired by the Wyoming Game and Fish Department to work seasonally in Grand Teton National Park on the freshwater trout fisheries. Soon thereafter, I found myself cultivating oysters, clams, and other shellfish in California. The skills I developed there as an algologist led to my subsequent employment developing a Spirulina culture facility near Santa Cruz, CA. My next position, which ultimately shaped my career, was helping to establish the Caicos Conch Farm in the Turks and Caicos. I was subsequently hired to help develop a conch research program for the State of Florida. Thus began 35 years focusing on hatchery—based stock replenishment, ecological dynamics, reproductive ecology, ecotoxicology, metapopulation dynamics, gene expression, and other issues impacting conch distribution and recovery from local overexploitation. Simultaneously, the diverse aquatic and terrestrial ecosystems in Florida were rapidly changing due to a changing climate superimposed on an expanding human footprint. This provided opportunities work on crafting adaptation solutions for both ecosystems and societies. In 1996, I was offered a leadership position in the Gulf and Caribbean Fisheries Institute, a role within which I remain active. Taken as a whole, these positions have been rich in both scientific explorations and policy development. Despite my best efforts at retiring, the opportunities to explore new research approaches and to develop new programs conspire to keep me pursuing new and exciting projects.