David G. Cargo

December 28, 1924 – February 11, 1999

David G Cargo was born Dec. 28, 1924 in Wilkinsburg, PA. He graduated from Victorville Army Air Field, Victorville, CA as a second lieutenant and bombardier, and he served in bombers in the Army Air Corps in Europe in WWII from April to September, 1944. He received an Air Medal while stationed in England with the Eighth Air Force, and was awarded an Oak Leaf cluster to his Air Medal in 1946.

After completing graduate education in freshwater fisheries biology at the University of Pittsburgh, Cargo was hired by Reginald Truitt at Chesapeake Biological Laboratory in 1950 as a Biologist II Crab Investigator. After working on blue crabs for several years, Cargo began a regular sea nettle survey in an attempt to fill in the considerable gaps in understanding of this organism. This survey produced an impressive continuous record of sea nettle presence and abundance on the Bay. He was instrumental in getting several research grants to study possible sea nettle controls, and his research also revealed several sea nettle predators, including a small fish Peprillus sp., and a nudibranch. He retired in 1990 as a Research Associate.

Cargo loved playing golf, and he was an accomplished tree surgeon.

A member of the Atlantic Estuarine Research Society, he received their Venerable Clam award in Spring 1995. This award given to a long standing member who has contributed to the field of estuary and coastal research, as well as to the Society.

Source: findagrave.com