Thomas Malone, interviewed April 23, 1985, discusses the Institute of Ecology, including its origins, its approaches to research, its relationship with colleges and universities, its structural and funding challenges, and its demise. Dr. Malone was a Professor at the Horn Point Laboratory of the University of Maryland, Center for Environmental Science. He completed a B.A. in zoology (1965) at Colorado College, a M.S. in oceanography (1967) at the University of Hawaii, and a Ph.D. in biology (1971) at Stanford University. Tom's areas of expertise included: phytoplankton ecology, coastal eutrophication, and the role of science in formulation of environmental policy.