Franze Retiring from Louisiana Sea Grant

Carol D. Franze, a leading environmental scientist who spent decades strengthening Louisiana’s coastal communities and fisheries, has announced her retirement.

Franze served as a marine extension agent for Louisiana Sea Grant and the LSU AgCenter since 2008 in the state’s southeast region. Her work primarily focused on building ecological and economic resilience within St. Tammany and Tangipahoa parishes.

Throughout her career, Franze bridged the gap between academic research and community action. Her expertise spanned coastal challenges, wetland ecology and submerged aquatic plants, amongst many other topics.

“Carol’s dedication to our coastal communities has left an indelible mark,” said Julie Lively, Louisiana Sea Grant executive director. “Her ability to translate complex estuarine science into practical tools for fishermen, teachers and local leaders has transformed how we approach coastal conservation.”

“I will always be grateful to Carol as someone who could interpret the output of applied research at the university, find the important points to translate and then help residents and decision-makers in communities across our state,” said Matthew Fannin, William H. Alexander Endowed Professor with the LSU AgCenter.

One of Franze’s signature achievements includes her work helping revitalize the state’s soft-shell blue crab industry. She also assisted in launching the annual Louisiana Fisheries Summit, an event that connects commercial fishermen with researchers and state regulatory agencies. While facing struggles after COVID-19, the Summit has moved to a regional, biannual schedule.

At the municipal level, Franze aided local governments in navigating the complex administrative frameworks of federal disaster aid. She also co-led the “Adopt-A-Pond” program, an initiative pairing schools and local governments to mitigate urban stormwater runoff by planting native trees in natural and engineered wetlands.

Recently, Franze edited An Identification Guide to the Macroscopic Invertebrates of the Lake Pontchartrain Estuary, published by Louisiana Sea Grant, providing regional researchers with a foundational reference handbook. The guide was authored by the late Michael Poirrier who spent 34 years at University of New Orleans. Franze, who worked with Poirrier, turned his rough draft into the completed book.

Her commitment to education earned Franze the Mentor Award from the Greater New Orleans Science and Engineering Fair. She was also a frequent instructor for adult learners in the Louisiana Master Naturalist Program of Greater New Orleans

“There’s something special about her,” said Brian Leblanc, professor emeritus at Louisiana State University’s School of Plant, Environmental and Soil Sciences. “I couldn’t imagine a better colleague to work with or learn from.”

Melissa Daigle, associate director at Louisiana Sea Grant, noted Franze’s impact on young professionals. “She’s been such an inspiration of what I want to exemplify when I am in front of a room,” Daigle said, highlighting Franze’s unique talent for making complex technical information accessible to the public.

“It has been a privilege working alongside Carol for the past two decades. Carol was instrumental in diversifying our Marine Extension Program portfolio on the North Shore during a period of rapid development and serving as our trusted point person for water quality, habitat and flood resilience. Her exceptional outreach to local governments and youth audiences, paired with her thoughtful insight and candid humor at our meetings, will be deeply missed,” said Rex Caffey, director of Marine Extension with Louisiana Sea Grant and professor of natural resource economics at LSU.

Franze looks forward to spending more time with her wonderful family and friends while also planning to remain active in local conservation efforts during her retirement. She also looks foward to frequent trips on her boat.

“Our favorite place is on a boat in the ocean, hopefully sailing through islands in the Caribbean.” Franze said about her retirement plans. “I am proud to have worked closely with Louisiana Sea Grant and LSU AgCenter colleagues solving stakeholder issues. Working within focus areas rooted in water quality improvement and habitat restoration challenged me to think out of the box a bit, establish some incredible partnerships with local and state government agencies, resource managers and non-profit organizations. We are very lucky to live in a state with amazing people and an abundance of natural resources.”