He co-wrote "Sea of Cortez" with marine biologist Edward Ricketts, the model for Doc in "Cannery Row"
... born Edward Flanders Robb Ricketts in Chicago, was a marine biologist,... [DOC] [TLE] Scientific, Literary Team to Re-Create Steinbeck's Voyage - latimes [PAR] Jan 20, 2004 ... On March 11, 64 years to the day after Steinbeck and Ricketts set off ... Edward F. 
Ricketts, a scientist and friend of John Steinbeck, said the ...