| Sources |
- [S24] The Newport Plain Talk, (http://www.newportplaintalk.com), 2 Sep 2003.
James Stevenson Franks obituary
- [S24] The Newport Plain Talk, (http://www.newportplaintalk.com), 22 Feb 2009.
Carolyn Helms, Jimmy Franks, Dr. Jay Gaddis
The Newport Kiwanis Club welcomed Jim Franks Jr., center, along with several other guests, to the organization's weekly meeting this past Tuesday. Franks, whom Dr. James Gaddis, right, refers to as 'Jimmy,' is the son of the late Jim and Agnes (Cureton) Franks, Sr. Franks, an oceanographer who calls Ocean Springs, Mississippi, home, said, "I grew up in a Kiwanis family." Franks was also a charter member of Cocke County's first Key Club and made the comment to Newport Kiwanians to "keep up the good work." Also pictured with Franks is Kiwanian Carolyn Helms.
- [S24] The Newport Plain Talk, (http://www.newportplaintalk.com), 8 Jul 2010.
Newport native involved in oil spill study
Eric Hoffmayer attaches a satellite tracker to a whale shark in the Gulf of Mexico. Whale
sharks are the largest fish in the sea and are rare. At 35 feet long and weighing several tons,
they are harmless plankton feeders and spend much of their time near the ocean's surface
sieving massive quantities of plankton. Biologists are concerned they might begin to ingest
oil from the recent spill. Several have been tagged with satellite devices.
Author: Duay O'Neil
GULFPORT, MISSISSIPPI-A Newport native is actively involved in determining the effects of the massive oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico.
Dr. Jim Franks, known to his many family members and friends here as "Jimmy," is a fisheries biologist at the University of Southern Mississippi Gulf Coast Research Laboratory.
In a telephone interview last week, Franks said he had recently spent two weeks aboard a ship in the Gulf of Mexico conducting studies on the impacts of the spill on offshore marine life.
"Our lab is both a research and academic part of the University of Southern Mississippi," said Franks. "We have a 100-foot research vessel which is used for many types of research in the Gulf."
Franks described himself as being at "Ground Zero" of the spill. "While we were out, we sought to determine the extent of the spill and the eventual impacts it will have on marine life."
While at sea, Franks and his team used nets to collect microorganisms such as small larvae and eggs, which form the basis of the seafood industry, to study the effects of the oil spill on them.
Franks and other members of the team had to return to shore when Hurricane Alex passed by. "We'll go out again in August," he said.
"This is the first week we've noticed the oil moving onto the Mississippi coast," he said.
Franks said he and his fellow researchers have been working in the deeper waters, checking on fish, plankton, whales, and whale sharks.
"We are tracking a few specimens (of whale sharks) that were tagged with satellite devices. Some appear to be precariously close to the oil spill at this time. Even at 35 feet long and several tons, they are harmless plankton feeders. We're concerned they might begin to ingest oil. They are rare and very special animals, the largest fish in the sea."
"We're working with the seafood industry and are trying to judge the mere impact of the oil on marine life forms," he explained.
"I've been here about 40 years," he continued, "and, by far, this is worse than anything I've ever seen. I've been through five major hurricanes, including Katrina, and the far-reaching impacts of this are unbelievable. The spill is of tremendous concern to Mississippi. In addition to the effects the oil will have on marine life, the number of jobs lost and the effects on tourism are tremendous."
Franks predicted that "generations of organisms" will be affected by the spill.
He also pointed out "downsides" to the use of dispersants on the oil.
"The dispersants break down the heavy oil," said Franks, "and cause it to drop down lower into the water and get it under the surface where it can't be seen. However, it's still there, in huge plumes which are floating all over the place. One of the things we're doing is trying to determine which direction they are moving in."
A second downside to the use of dispersants, added Franks, concerns the eventual ingestion of "micro-droplets of oil" by living organisms. "The dispersants make the oil bio-available to small organisms," said Franks, "which ingest it. In turn, they are ingested by larger marine life and all the way up to us. This process biomagnifies itself. This is of great concern regarding seafood."
However, there is an advantage to the use of dispersants, according to Franks.
"The break-down of the oil does make it more available to natural degradation by bacteria, and this is a good thing," he said. "We have bacteriologists to assess the ability of natural bacteria to consume or degredate the oil," he added.
Regarding the larger marine life in the area, Franks said he and his fellow researchers "think" adults may have an "instinct to escape."
"We're working to determine the impacts of the oil on the very early life of organisms and also checking into the oil moving into the loop current," he said. The loop current, he explained, has the potential of moving the oil around the peninsula of Florida and up the East Coast all the way to Nova Scotia.
"We've known all along this was a bad situation," said Franks. "It's overwhelming to see the vast area of oil from the air. It's a challenge to everyone, from the fishermen to the seafood vendors, to restaurant owners. And, it's still gushing."
"When it moves inland, we'll have a whole different battle," he said. "And, when it comes ashore, we'll known there at least 100 miles of oil behind it."
In addition to his frantic work, Franks has also been inundated with requests for interviews.
"This is number 37," he laughed. "You've joined CNN and ABC."
Franks said he is one of "several researchers" at the lab. "We are planning another 10-day offshore research trip in August on our 100-foot vessel.
"One thing I might add," he concluded, "and something that is of great concern to local businesses is we want the world to know that, at this time, Mississippi's seafood is safe to eat!"
Franks, son of the late James and Agnes (Cureton) Franks, grew up in Newport and is a graduate of Cocke County High School.
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, d. 2 Sep 2003 (Age 90 years) 