Walther Fish Ecology Lab

Image credits: B. Walther, J. Mohan, M. Seeley, B. Cutler, S. Smith, A. Montalvo. 

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Our lab conducts research on a variety of topics related to fish ecology, migration, habitat use, food web interactions and environmental stressors. This work generally focuses on using the “natural tag” properties of carbonate hard parts in marine and diadromous fishes to examine patterns of migration, exposure to environmental stressors, and life history dynamics of species with mobile phases.  We often couple otolith chemistry with other techniques such as tissue stable isotopes to examine food web responses.  This field has grown exponentially in the past couple of decades, yet significant unknowns remain about highly migratory or dispersive species, particularly in the marine environment.  Otolith chemistry has the potential to reveal key information about identity and movement patterns that is essential for the effective management of exploited species and ecosystems. 

We are located at Texas A&M University - Corpus Christi in the Department of Life Sciences. We work closely with members of the University of Texas Jackson School of Geosciences, which houses an array of analytical instruments including laser ablation ICP-MS (multiple and single collectors), TIMS, and isotope ratio mass spectrometers.

Visit the page subsections for more information about our specific projects, lab members and opportunities to work in our lab.

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