In response to the marked decline in fish diversity he has observed over the past 40 years of his research career, Dr. Parsons co-founded the CBCR in May 2018. With over 100scientific papers, reports, books, and popular articles on sharks and other fishes, and millions of dollars of grant funds, he is an acknowledged expert in shark and fish biology. His work has been recognized and received awards by the World Wildlife Fund, the Rolex Corporation, the Walton Foundation for Marine Research, the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation, the National Marine Fisheries Service, The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, the Mississippi Department of Wildlife and Fisheries, two governors of the state of Mississippi, and testified as a shark expert before the U. S. Congress. He has directed to completion 21 Master’s and Doctoral graduate students, many of whom have becomes hark biologists. He received his undergraduate degree from the University of Alabama, Birmingham, Masters’ degree from the University of South Alabama, and the Doctoral degree from the University of South Florida, School of Marine Science. He is a Professor in the Department of Biology, at the University of Mississippi.