James S. Franks
Current Research
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:- Studies of tarpon in Mississippi coastal waters
- Spawning and nursery habitat of Atlantic bluefin tuna and blue marlin in the Gulf of Mexico and Caribbean Sea
- Use of inshore artificial reefs by adult spotted seatrout, and juvenile snapper and grouper
- Spawning habitat of spotted seatrout in Mississippi waters.
- Association of larval and juvenile pelagic fishes with pelagic Sargassum habitat, the Loop Current and oceanic frontal zones in the Gulf of Mexico
- Seasonal movements, migratory patterns, and habitat preferences of cobia and tripletail in Mississippi waters, the Gulf of Mexico and South Atlantic Ocean
- Seasonal movements of spotted seatrout in Mississippi coastal waters: tag-release studies.
- Early life history and recruitment of juvenile dolphinfish and greater amberjack to Sargassum habitat in the Gulf of Mexico
- Life history studies of yellowfin tuna and wahoo in the northern Gulf of Mexico
- Seasonal occurrence and habitat preferences of whale sharks in the Gulf of Mexico
- Essential habitat of dusky and silky sharks in the northern Gulf of Mexico: pop-off satellite archival tagging studies
- Aquaculture potential of tripletail
Funded Research, 2010 - 2012
Principal Investigator
- Spawning and nursery habitat of Atlantic bluefin tuna (Thunnus thynnus) in the eastern Gulf of Mexico. Funding sources: Guy Harvey Ocean Foundation
- Investigations of tarpon (Megalops atlanticus) in Mississippi coastal waters. Funding source: Mississippi Department of Marine Resources
Co-Principal Investigator
- Studies of reproductive biology, feeding ecology and conservation genetics of yellowfin tuna (Thunnus albacares) in the northern Gulf of Mexico. Funding source: Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries.
- Investigation of juvenile fishes associated with pelagic Sargassum habitat in the northern Gulf of Mexico. Funding source: Northern Gulf Institute.
- Use of artificial reef habitat by juvenile gray snapper and gag grouper in Mississippi coastal waters. Funding source: Mississippi Department of Marine Resources, Tidelands Trust Fund Program.
- Evaluation of Katrina Reef (Mississippi Sound) as critical spawning habitat for spotted seatrout (Cynoscion nebulosus). Funding source: Mississippi Department of Marine Resources, Tidelands Trust Fund Program.
- Habitats of young sharks in Mississippi waters. Funding source: Mississippi Department of Marine Resources, Mississippi Tidelands Trust Fund Program.
- Culture of tripletail (Lobotes surinamensis): development of techniques for captive spawning, hatching and larval culture. Funding source: Mississippi Department of Marine Resources, Mississippi Tidelands Trust Fund Program.