James S. Franks
- Senior Research Scientist – Gulf Coast Research Laboratory
- Fisheries Biologist – Center for Fisheries Research and Development
- Adjunct Faculty – Department of Coastal Sciences
- Associate Graduate Faculty – The University of Southern Mississippi
(228) 872-4202, fax: (228) 872-4204
jim.franks@usm.edu
Gulf Coast Research Laboratory
703 East Beach Drive
Ocean Springs, MS 39564
Education
- M.S. Degree - University of Mississippi, 1968. Biology.
- B.S. Degree - Tennessee Wesleyan College, 1964. Biology.
Research Interests
- Life history and ecology of coastal and highly migratory pelagic fishes in the Gulf of Mexico
- Habitat preferences and behavior of fishes associated with Mississippi artificial reefs
- Aquaculture of pelagic fishes
Recent Publications
- Franks, J.S., E.R. Hoffmayer, J.R. Ballard, N.M. Garber and A.F. Garber. 2008. Diet of wahoo, Acanthocybium solandri, from the northcentral Gulf of Mexico. Proc. Gulf Carib. Fish. Inst. 62:353-362.
- Cook, M., G.R. Fitzhugh and J.S. Franks. 2009. Validation of yellowedge grouper, Epinephelus flavolimbatus, age using nuclear bomb-produced radiocarbon. Env. Biol. Fish. 86(4):461-68.
- Blend, C.K., N.O. Dronen, J.S. Franks and G.W. Benz. 2010. Endohelminths of a snake mackerel, Gempylus serpens (Trichiuroidea: Gempylidae), from the Gulf of Mexico. Gulf Carib. Res. 22:1-8.
- Franks, J.S. and D.M. Gibson. 2011. Investigation of juvenile fishes associated with pelagic Sargassum habitat in the north-central Gulf of Mexico. Final Report, Northern Gulf Institute BP Gulf Research Initiative. Northern Gulf Institute, Mississippi State University. 30p.
- Hoffmayer, E.R., W.B. Driggers, J.S. Franks, D.S. Hanisko and L.E. Cavitt. 2011. Recent occurrences of basking sharks, Cetorhinus maximus (Chondrichthyes: Cetorhinidae), in the Gulf of Mexico. Marine Biodiversity Rec. 4:1-4.
- Stein, W. III, N.J. Brown-Peterson, J.S. Franks and M.T. O’Connell. 2012. Evidence of spawning capable tarpon (Megalops atlanticus) off the Louisiana coast. Gulf Carib. Res. 24:73-74.
Recent Invited Scientific Presentations
- March 2011, “Studies of Bluefin Tuna in the northern Gulf of Mexico”; Bureau of Ocean Energy Management, Regulation and Enforcement (BOEMRE), Information Transfer Meeting, New Orleans, LA.
- December 2011, “Pelagic Sargassum As Habitat For Fishes in the Gulf of Mexico”, University of Southern Mississippi Seminar Series, Hattiesburg, MS
- March 2012, ‘Mass intrusion of pelagic Sargassum into the Caribbean region during summer 2011”, Caribbean Regional Fisheries Mechanism, 10th Annual Fishers Forum, Nassau, Bahamas.
- July 2012, “Pioneers in Marine Science”; Issues and Answers Lecture Series, sponsored by the University of Southern Mississippi and the Sun Herald; Mary C. O’Keefe Cultural Center for Arts and Education, Ocean Springs, MS.
Recent Synergistic Activities
- Graduate student committees membership:10 M.S., 1 Ph.D.: Currently serve on one M.S. committee (Jeremy Higgs, University of Southern Mississippi) and one Ph.D. committee (William Stein, University of New Orleans)
- Instructor: Techniques in the Study of Marine Fishes. Gulf Coast Research Laboratory, Summer Session (May-mester course)
- Direct special topics research in marine fisheries for undergraduates in the GCRL Summer Academic Program
- Mentor, Mississippi Gulf Coast Community College Intern Program
- Board of Directors, Gulf & Caribbean Fisheries Institute (2003-2012); Chair, 2008 - 2009; 2012 - 2014
- American Fisheries Society (National and Mississippi Chapter)
- President, Mississippi Chapter, 2001
- Chair, Mississippi Chapter Historical Committee
- Member, AFS Hurricane Katrina Task Force
- Chair, Fund Raising Committee, American Fisheries Society-Southern Division Annual Meeting, Biloxi, MS, January 2012
- Board of Directors, Mississippi Wildlife Federation (2006 - 2013)
- Member, Oil Spill Advisory Panel, National Wildlife Federation (2010 – 2011)
- Member, Gulf Coast Research Laboratory Oil Spill Task Force (2010 – 2011)
- USM Gulf Coast Research Laboratory Director Search Committee, 2012
- Member, Gulf of Mexico Fishery Management Council, Special Oceanic Migratory Species Scientific and
Statistical Committee (1995-2003 ) and Special Dolphin/Wahoo Scientific-Statistical Committee (2000-
2003) - Vice-Chairman, Steering Committee for the 5th International Billfish Symposium (tentative 2014)
- Member, NOAA Fisheries Highly Migratory Species Advisory Panel (2008 – 2011)
Other Activities and Honors
- C. A. Shults Conservation Award, Mississippi Chapter, American Fisheries Society, February 2005
- President’s Award, American Fisheries Society (Parent Society), 2011, Seattle, WA.
- Experience at sea: Participant in more than 20 offshore scientific cruises in the Gulf of Mexico; Scientific Party Chief on numerous cruises.
- Recognized as Pioneer in Marine and Fisheries Research at the Gulf Coast Research Laboratory
- Invited reviewer of numerous scientific proposals and peer-review journal manuscripts
- 2005 Conservationist of the Year (Governor's Award), Mississippi Wildlife Federation
- Board member, biologist, and weighmaster for numerous Gulf coast fishing tournaments and events