Toomer is most renowned for his important contributions to the design of turtle excluder devices (TEDs) for shrimp trawlers. "TEDs maximize shrimp harvest while allowing endangered sea turtles to escape. Shrimpers' use of TEDs has spared hundreds of thousands of endangered sea turtles around the world," said Pamela Plotkin, director of Texas Sea Grant and author of the book, Biology and Conservation of Ridley Sea Turtles.

With his mom and dad and a dozen or so others, Toomer also is responsible for the 3 million-acre no trawling pink shrimp nursery area in the Gulf.

"I feel fortunate to be a part of the history of the TED," said Toomer. "Finding a successful design was achieved by joining the practical experience and creativity of fishers, with the design ideas and studies of scientists."