Dr. Glenn R. Parsons,  CFO Parsons Consulting and Professor of Biology.

First, let me thank you for visiting our campaign web-site. Did you know that millions of sharks die each year as a result of commercial and recreational fishing? In many cases, the sharks are not wanted and are taken incidentally by swordfish and tuna fishers. Commercial and recreational fishers would love to have a method for preventing the capture of sharks. They are dangerous to handle, they damage fishing gear, and they slow down fishing operations thus reducing fishing efficiency. This capture of unwanted species is referred to as "bycatch". Bycatch is a global problem that plagues many fisheries, and scientists, partnered with commercial and recreational fishers, are working hard to develop methods to reduce bycatch.

I am Dr. Glenn R. Parsons,  CFO of Parsons Consulting LLC (a very small environmental consulting firm) and Professor of Biology. I hold degrees from The University of Alabama (Birmingham), The University of South Alabama, and The University of South Florida (St. Pete, School of Marine Science). I have researched the basic biology of sharks for the past 40 years along the coasts of Alabama, Florida, and Mississippi. Over the past approximately 15 years, I have focused on the problem of bycatch and recently turned my attention on shark bycatch in the tuna and swordfish fisheries. I feel that the work I am doing on bycatch is perhaps the most important research of my entire career.

As a professor an important part of my job is to train graduate students so they might conduct original research. My role as a mentor to students is without question the most gratifying (and, on occasion, the most frustrating) part of my responsibilities. I am very serious about that role and I have been very fortunate to have excellent undergraduate volunteers and superb graduate students. Training undergraduate and graduate students and conducting research is an expensive undertaking and, lately, funds for research have been difficult to obtain.

WHAT WE NEED AND WHAT YOU GET

Our campaign is simple. At present we are using a boat to conduct bycatch research that is close to the end of its useful life. While our Carolina Skiff is still a good boat, it is 15 years old and starting to show its age in a number of ways. I am mounting this campaign to raise funds to purchase a boat that will allow us to expand our shark research projects and to accommodate a larger number of undergraduate and graduate students.

We will likely purchase another Carolina Skiff but the boat will be 24 feet long and will be better outfitted for the kind of research in which we are presently engaged. The boat will cost approximately $25,000.

We desperately need a new boat and your contribution will be a great help to us and may result in saving the lives of many thousands of sharks.

All of those that donate will receive regular updates about the progress of the shark project. We have some exciting prizes for those that are able to donate at the following levels:

BULL SHARK CONTRIBUTOR $25:  At this level you will receive an autographed personalized copy of Dr. Parsons' book "Sharks, Skates and Rays of the Gulf of Mexico". This book is perfect for identifying the shark you encounter.

MAKO SHARK CONTRIBUTOR $50:  You will receive the book mentioned above as well as a ceramic coffee mug that identifies you as a Mako Shark Contributor. You will be the envy of your  friends as you sip a hot beverage from your mako cup.

ADOPT-A-SHARK CONTRIBUTOR $200: This one is really exciting. At this level you will receive a copy of the book mentioned above plus you will adopt a shark. This means that your shark will be tagged with a specially made tag that identifies the shark as adopted. We will send you all of the pertinent information concerning your shark, species, size, where captured, etc. When the animal is recaptured, the tag will inform the fisher that it is your shark and they are encouraged to report the location where captured and release the animal unharmed. We feel that a fisher that captures an adopted shark will be more inclined to let the animal go without harming it.

GREAT WHITE SHARK CONTRIBUTOR $2,000: At this level we will take you on a shark research trip in the Gulf of Mexico. The waters of the northern Gulf of Mexico are teeming with sharks and we will include you in our research project.  You will have to pay for your travel to Ocean Springs, MS but when you arrive we will put you up in a cottage for two nights and will provide all that you need on the boat. The trip will last approximately 8 hours and you will see dolphins, sharks, many varieties of fish, etc. We obviously have to schedule these trips around weather but we can be very flexible during the summer months.

WHALE SHARK CONTRIBUTOR $25,000:  This is the big one. You and a companion will spend two nights in a cottage on the coast of Mississippi and will embark on a shark research trip with the shark team as described above. We will video document the trip and will provide you with a copy of the video. In addition, you will be given the privilege of naming the new research vessel. You can name it after your mother or father or wife or husband. You can name it whatever you want as long as it is not inappropriate or offensive. Obviously, the name will be emblazoned on the side of the vessel for all to see. We will actually purchase a boat wrap with your company name and logo  covering the hull .

If we do not raise the entire amount, the money will be used to either purchase a smaller boat or to renovate our existing boat. If we raise more than our goal, we will use the extra funds for graduate student research projects. These projects have involved everything from shark biology, to paddlefish research, to radio-tracking crappie in local reservoirs.

THE IMPACT AND OUR APPROACH TO THE PROBLEM