A Pioneer Son at Sea by Gilbert Voss
Long before tourism dominated Florida’s coastline, the state was home to dozens of commercial fisheries and ethnically diverse communities of rugged individuals who made their living from the sea. In A Pioneer Son at Sea, a celebrated marine biologist vividly recounts his early experiences fishing both coasts of the peninsula during the Great Depression and World War II. Here are vanished scenes from old Florida: gill-netting for mackerel off Jupiter, the early days of charterboat fishing for sailfish out of Stuart and Boynton, the snapper fleet at Carrabelle, sponge-diving at Tarpon Springs, the oyster fishery at Crystal River, and mullet fishing from airboats at Flamingo. Outsized personalities inhabit these pages—crackers, conchs, now-legendary charterboatmen, Greek spongers, and Cuban vivero captains. These portraits of a bygone era are also remarkable tales of formative chapters in the life of a scientist who later worked tirelessly to preserve our dwindling marine resources.
“This unexpected gem. . sheds a bright, multi-colored light on the fishing industry in southeastern Florida during the 1930s and 1940s . . . . If you want the inside story of a fisherman’s life, this is the place. If you want to understand the passions that drive someone willing to toil for bare subsistence in the chaotic fishing economy, open this book.”
Florida Weekly
Florida Weekly
Gilbert L. Voss (1918–1989) was professor of biological oceanography at the University of Miami, USA. He is the author of several books including Seashore Life of Florida and the Caribbean.
Robert S. Voss, the author’s son, is a curator at the American Museum of Natural History in New York City, USA.
Robert S. Voss, the author’s son, is a curator at the American Museum of Natural History in New York City, USA.
| SKU | Unavailable |
| ISBN 13 | 9780813062525 |
| ISBN 10 | 0813062527 |
| Title | A Pioneer Son at Sea |
| Author | Gilbert Voss |
| Condition | Unavailable |
| Binding Type | Hardback |
| Publisher | University Press of Florida |
| Year published | 2016-03-08 |
| Number of pages | 200 |
| Cover note | Book picture is for illustrative purposes only, actual binding, cover or edition may vary. |
| Note | Unavailable |