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Just a reminder that Big M. Little Mood with Daniel M. Lavery happens twice a week.

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Sign up now to listen atood, Little Mood. I'm your host, Daniel M. Lavery, and with me in the studio this week is Esther Jaffe, a marine microbiologist and, quote, blue-collar scientist, whose work on fishing and research vessels from the Gulf of Alaska to the Gulf of Mexico has led her to a shellfish hatchery

in Terracia, Florida. They specialize in algal biochemistry and striking off to sea for personal

growth and profit. Esther, welcome to the show. Thank you so much for having me here. I am so

delighted to be on the show. Thank you so much for joining us. And I think the only way that

this could be better, especially after reading that bio, would be if you were recording this

from the deck of an actual ship and there were visibly like barrels rolling around on the deck

behind you. That is the dream, isn't it? I actually brought one of your books with me when I went

to see. So in a way,

your presence was there along with me in the Gulf of Alaska, on the high seas, in one of these

huge typhoons even that we had coming from Japan, we sheltered in a cove, and I was very

comforted by your words.

Well, I can die happily now because you just said that you took me to see and that's the only

aspiration I've ever had as a writer or a human being. So I will be done for the day. I'm just

going to lie down quietly and you can give advice to people if you like or just talk about algae if you prefer to do that and that'll be the show.

Amazing.

All right.

All right.

This is such a strong opener, possibly the strongest opener I've ever experienced.

Yeah, I am going to apply a cool compress to my forehead and ask that you read our first letter.

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