Ph.D., Aquaculture, Auburn University, 1992

   M.S., Aquaculture, Auburn University, 1984

   B.S., Fisheries Management, Eastern Kentucky University, 1982

Research Focus/Interests

Current Research Projects

Collaborators

• Dr. Lee Meyer, University of Kentucky, Lexington, KY.
• Dr. William L. Shelton, University of Oklahoma, Norman, OK.
  The Production of All-Female Chondrosteans for Caviar Fish Farming. USDA 1890 Capacity Building Grant. This project is focused on the optimization all-female production of paddlefish and development of all-female shovelnose sturgeon using gynogenetic and sex-reversal techniques in order to produce all-female stock for their roe as caviar.

• Dr. Jean-Claude (Jacky) Cosson, CNRS Station Marine, Villefranche, France.
• Dr. Otomar Linhart, Research Institute of Fish Culture and Hydrobiology, Vodnany, Czech Republic.

Monosex Production of Black Crappie. Kentucky Department of Fish and Wildlife. This project is to develop gynogenetic black crappie for monosex population for stocking farm and urban ponds and recreation fee facilities.

• Dr. Konrad Dabrowski, Ohio State University, Columbus, OH.
• Dr. Ron Phelps, Auburn University, AL.

Contaminant Investigations of Paddlefish Health in the Mississippi River Basin. U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. (Subcontract with KSU). This project is to assess the contaminate levels of organochlorines in paddlefish muscle and gonads as well as evaluating the reproductive success of these sampled fish from Cumberland Lake, Somerset, KY; Falls of the Ohio, Louisville, KY and Ohio River Islands National Wildlife Refuge, WV. Ten females and 10 males were sampled from each site. Sediment samples were also taking at selected sites to monitor organochlorine levels.

• Mrs. Jody Millar (Project Coordinator), U.S. Fish and Wildlife Services, Rock Island, IL.
• Dr. Deke Gunderson, University of Southern Indiana, Evansville, IN.

Infrastructure Development of Paddlefish Fingerlings for Kentucky and Aquaculture on-site demonstration using recirculation system as a model, Kentucky Department of Agriculture. These projects have been initiated to assist in the infrastructural development of Kentucky aquaculture through fingerling production, farmer training and student education.

• Dr. Robert Durborow and Mr. Forrest Wynne, Cooperative Extension Program, Kentucky State University, Frankfort, KY 40601.

Support Staff

• Mr. Richard J. Onders, Co-Investigator, paddlefish reservoir ranching.

Recent Publications

Gundersen, D.T., M.D. Krahling, J.J. Donosky, R.G. Cable and S.D. Mims. 1998. Polychlorinated biphenyls and chlordane in the gonads of paddlefish, Polyodon spathula, from the Ohio River. Bulletin of Environmental Contamination Toxicology 61:650-657.

Brown, G.G. and S.D. Mims. 1999. Cryopreservation of paddlefish Polyodon spathula milt. Journal of World Aquaculture Society 30:245-249.

Stech, L., O. Linhart, W.L. Shelton and S.D. Mims. 1999. Minimally invasive surgical removal of ovulated eggs from paddlefish Polyodon spathula. Aquaculture International 7:1-5.

Mims, S.D. and W. L. Shelton. 1999. Monosex culture of paddlefish and shovelnose sturgeon. Pages 42-51 in D. Williamson, ed. Proceeding of the Symposium on Harvest, Trade and Conservation of North American Paddlefish and Sturgeon. Traffic North America, Washington D.C.

Gomelsky, B, S.D. Mims, R.J. Onders, W.L. Shelton, M.A. Gracia and K. Dabrowski. in press. Induced gynogenesis in black crappie, Pomoxis nigromaculatus. North American Journal of Aquaculture.

Fielder, S., P.M.. Hopkins, W.L. Shelton and S.D. Mims. in press. Levels of circulating sex steroids in methyltestosterone-treated all-female paddlefish, Polyodon spathula. General and Comparative Endocrinology.

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