Currents, upwellings and eddies: My life in oceanography

On April 30, 2025, I retired from 25 years of federal service as a Research Fishery Biologist at Alaska Fisheries Science Center, in the National Marine Fisheries Service of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). It had been a difficult year with the havoc that the Trump Administration and DOGE were wreaking on all federal agencies. When it got to the point that there was a non-zero percent chance that I would be fired and lose my pension and health insurance, I accepted early retirement.  This was not an easy decision to make; I hadn't planned on retiring for another two years. I left projects unfinished; colleagues and mentees hanging.  I had two weeks to pass on projects to other scientists, clean up my computer files, clear out my office and say my goodbyes. On May 1, I found myself on the other side of arguably the biggest change in my life. Really, ever since I discovered my passion for science in 10th grade, my life had been directed towards one thing - being a scientist. Suddenly that was all over. 

     I decided to write this memoir to give me the opportunity to step back, to remember and appreciate my career. I wanted to look beyond the anxiety and discouragement I felt when I left my job at NOAA and remember the wealth of experiences, places, people and ideas that made up my life all those years. I also wanted to share these memories with my partners and friends so they could know more about how my past shaped me; and with the people of my past so they could appreciate how much they meant to me. 

     Click the drop-down menu at the upper right or left (depending on your platform) to see the chapters and choose which one to read. 

     New chapters will be added around every month or so. Feel free to check back for more stories.