He graduated from Hotchkiss. At Princeton he played tennis his freshman year, then rugby for the next three. A member of Ivy, he majored in English and graduated in 1951.
After receiving his commission from the Navy’s OCS at Newport, R.I., in March 1952, he married Ornsby “Cis” Hanes. His three years of service included oceanographic research aboard the USS San Pablo and at the Underwater Sound Laboratory in New London, Conn. Leaving the Navy, he entered Harvard Graduate School, where he earned a Ph.D. in marine biology.
Following a variety of jobs, he formed the Marine Research Co. in Falmouth, Mass., in 1970. He later became a partner in the Cotuit Oyster Co. and founded Ocean Pond Corp., a commercial seed oyster operation.
He and Cis traveled to many countries, often to do research on oysters, much of which appeared in his 2001 book, Oyster Culture. He was a conservationist who extensively studied the effects of environmental degradation on marine species.
Carey loved birding, boating, fishing, skiing, tennis, literature, and politics.
He is survived by Cis; four daughters, Martina, Connie, Hope, and Betsy; son John; 12 grandchildren; and three great-grandchildren.