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This article is based on research conducted in two fishing communities in Louisiana that were heavily impacted in 2005 by Hurricane Katrina: Grand Isle and the Empire‐Venice area. The authors conducted research in June and August 2006 to better understand the impacts of Hurricane Katrina on these communities. Previous research had been conducted in these communities by the same researchers in 2004. The baseline data obtained in 2004 proved invaluable for understanding the nature of the fishing industry in these communities before Hurricane Katrina struck. The 2006 research focused on changes in the fishing industries, the individuals, and the communities following the hurricane. It also examined the challenges for recovery and implications for fishing management in these communities. The two coastal communities in this study are heavily involved in the commercial shrimp fishery that before the storm had been overcapitalized for years. The eye of the storm passed over Empire‐Venice and, as a result, this area received more damage than Grand Isle. In both areas, homes were destroyed, boats were sunk, and lives were changed forever. A year later, both areas are still struggling to recover from the hurricane. This article focuses on the methods the authors used for research in these communities after the storm: semistructured ethnographic interviews, photography, and mapping. It also reports on some of the findings. The authors conducted interviews with fishermen, people who work in fishing related businesses, and other community members who could provide them with information regarding the impacts of Hurricane Katrina on these communities and the state of the fisheries.

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