Fisherman, Researcher, Friend: One Man’s Selfless Commitment to Marine Science
Photo: Gloucester’s Tom Hill sets course on a recent GMGI research trip to the Stellwagen Bank National Marine Sanctuary
Tom Hill is a Massachusetts native who has spent the past 40 years fishing out of Gloucester, MA — America’s oldest fishing port. Tom has a magnetic personality and a wealth of fascinating stories. His journey as a fisherman took an interesting turn when the headquarters of Gloucester Marine Genomics Institute opened in 2018 on the harbor front where his boat was moored.
Working with the Community
GMGI works to catalyze the economy of the struggling fishing community by addressing challenges facing our oceans, human health and the environment through innovative scientific research and education. Tom has been a regular visitor to GMGI, bringing rare “gifts” from his boat — such as blue and calico lobsters — to support critical research studies. His visits are testament to the goodwill felt by Gloucester’s fishing community towards GMGI. There is a collective recognition that the GMGI research plays an important role in promoting sustainable fisheries and potentially helping fishery regulators in their conservation management efforts.
Research at Sea
In 2024, working alongside GMGI Research Scientist Matt Harke, Ph.D., Tom made his most significant contribution to GMGI. He transformed his boat, the F/V Karoline Marie — named after his eldest daughter — into a mobile research vessel, enabling scientists to conduct real-time research at sea. For GMGI, an early-stage nonprofit without its own research vessel, Tom’s generosity was transformative and another tangible symbol of the fishing community’s support and engagement.
Tom helps GMGI’s Matt Harke retrieve the sediment grabber in Stellwagen Bank
Today, Tom is more involved than ever with GMGI. As part of a long-term study to document biodiversity, every three months he transports researchers to the Stellwagen Bank National Marine Sanctuary, situated off the coast of Massachusetts. The sanctuary is a living laboratory, rich in biodiversity, where scientists study everything from plankton to water chemistry. Tom’s role is critical. Using his intimate knowledge of the region, he navigates the Karoline Marie to various research “stations,” where he works alongside the researchers to collect water and sediment samples. His boat, once a fishing vessel, is now equipped with GMGI’s sophisticated lab gear to support on-board sample processing, and it’s been officially rebranded from F/V (Fishing Vessel) to R/V (Research Vessel).
Fisherman and Research Assistant
During these missions, Tom operates the boat’s lobster trap hauler on the starboard side to deploy a sediment grabber. He works with the researchers to deploy a Niskin bottle, a mechanism designed to collect water samples to measure pigments, nutrients, plankton, environmental DNA, etc. This Niskin bottle has been modified to also capture video footage of life at the bottom of the sea.
While all that’s happening, another researcher is measuring salinity, temperature, and dissolved oxygen of the water both at the surface and at the bottom. When the work is complete at one station Tom steers the vessel to the next station on the list, while researchers filter their samples onboard, continuing their work seamlessly.
GMGI researcher Jen Polinski filters samples onboard the R/V Karoline Marie
Tom embraces the opportunity to work with GMGI. “Gloucester is fortunate to have this innovative organization located here. Their mission is compelling, and I am always learning something new from the researchers. The work they do is game-changing when it comes to the health of our ocean and its fisheries. As a local fisherman, GMGI is playing a key role in providing my community with knowledge that will inevitably inform our maritime decisions.”
With his generosity and commitment to marine science, Tom Hill is making a lasting impact on both the scientific community and the future of ocean research.