Dr. Jim Beets

Dr. Beets is assistant professor in the Department of Biology and Marine Science at Jacksonville University. Dr. Beets is an ecologist, with special interest in coral reef fishes and fisheries. He began working in freshwater systems and then to the sea, working as a marine/fisheries ecologist in the Virgin Islands for about 15 years before returning to teach in the states. Most of his research is still in the Caribbean, with primary interests on population and community ecology and conservation biology of tropical systems, although he does have some freshwater and estuarine studies on the Gulf coast.

At Jacksonville University, Dr. Beets teaches courses in Marine Ecology, Ichthyology, Conservation and Environmental Science. His current research focuses on ecosystem interactions and marine protected areas, and he has funded research in the Virgin Islands on the enhancement of reef fish populations by adjacent seagrass systems. Presently, he is investigating the potential mechanisms for the enhancement effect. Students are involved in this research and are encouraged in their own research projects.