It had been 62 years since Cynthia Riggs had heard from Howard Attebery. The two had worked together during the summer of 1950 at the Scripps Institution of Oceanography, sorting and counting plankton at the San Diego laboratory. At 18 years old, Ms. Riggs was a long way from her home in West Tisbury. It was the first time she had ever travelled to the West Coast but she was eager to emerge herself in scientific life.

Cynthia Riggs of Martha’s Vineyard and Dr. Howard R. Attebery of San Diego are delighted to announce their engagement to be married this coming spring, 2013.

The couple met 62 years ago in San Diego where Ms. Riggs had a college job sorting plankton at the Scripps Institution of Oceanography’s Point Loma Lab. Dr. Attebery was already working at the lab. To ease the boredom of sorting plankton, the two exchanged notes written in code on paper towels.