Benjamin Walther

EDUCATION

Ph.D., Biological Oceanography, MIT/Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution Joint Program, 2007

B.S., Biology, University of Texas at Austin, 2000

B.A., Plan II Honors Liberal Arts, University of Texas at Austin, 2000

PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE

Associate Professor, Department of Life Sciences, Texas A&M University - Corpus Christi, Corpus Christi, Texas. (2019-present)

Assistant Professor, Department of Life Sciences, Texas A&M University - Corpus Christi, Corpus Christi, Texas. (2015-2019)

Assistant Professor, Department of Marine Science, The University of Texas at Austin, Port Aransas, Texas. (2009-2015)

Postdoctoral Fellow, ARC Centre of Excellence for Coral Reef Studies, Australian National University, Canberra, ACT, Australia. (2008-2009)

Postdoctoral Fellow, University of Adelaide, Adelaide, SA, Australia. (2007-2008)

Lecturer, Marine Science Department, United States Coast Guard Academy, New London, Connecticut. (2007)

PUBLICATIONS

[Links are provided after each citation.  If you are unable to access any publication, please contact me for a reprint.]

(48) Taulbee, E.J., and B.D. Walther. In press.  Quantifying euryhaline histories in red drum Sciaenops ocellatus: scale isotope ratios.  Journal of Fish Biology.  DOI:10.1111/jfb.15515 LINK

(47) Walther, B.D., and L. E. Torrance.  In press. Quantifying euryhaline histories in red drum Sciaenops ocellatus: otolith chemistry and muscle isotope ratios.  Journal of Fish Biology.  DOI:10.1111/jfb.15173  LINK

(46) Valenza, A.N., Altenritter, M.E., and B.D. Walther. 2023. Reconstructing consequences of lifetime hypoxia exposure on growth and metabolism of demersal fish in the northern Gulf of Mexico using otolith chemistry.  Environmental Biology of Fishes. 106:2045–2057. LINK

(45) Reis-Santos, P., Gillanders, B.M., Sturrock, A.M., Izzo, C., Oxman, D.S., Lueders-Dumont, J.A., Hüssy, K., Tanner, S.E., Rogers, T., Doubleday, Z.A., Andrews, A.H., Trueman, C., Brophy, D., Thiem, J.D., Baumgartner, L.J., Wilmes, M., Chung, M.T., Johnson, R.C., Heimbrand, Y., Limburg, K.E., and B.D. Walther.  2023. Reading the biomineralized book of life: expanding otolith biogeochemical research and applications for fisheries and ecosystem-based management.  Reviews in Fish Biology and Fisheries.  33:411-449.  LINK

(44) He, R., Limburg, K.E., Walther, B.D., Samson, M.A., and Z. Lu.  2022.  Iodine content of fish otoliths in species found in diverse habitats.  Environmental Biology of Fishes. 105:351-367.  LINK

(43) Gillanders, B.M., McMillan, M.N., Reis-Santos, P., Baumgartner, L.J., Brown, L.R., Conallin, J., Feyrer, F.V., Henriques, S., James, N.C., Jaureguizar, A.J., Pessanha, A.L.M., Vasconcelos, R.P., Vu, A.V., Walther, B.D., Wibowo, A.  2022. Chapter 7: Climate change and fishes in estuaries.  in Whitfield, A.K., Able, K., Blaber, S.J.M., and M. Elliott (eds.), ‘Fish and Fisheries in Estuaries: A Global Perspective.’  Hoboken: John Wiley & Sons, LTD.  pp 380-457.   LINK

(42) Lueders-Dumont, J.A., Forden, A.G., Mohan, J.A., Walther, B.D., Sigman, D.M., Kast, E.R., and B.B. Ward.  2022.  Controls on the nitrogen isotopic composition of fish otolith organic matter: lessons from a controlled diet switch experiment.  Geochimica et Cosmochimica Acta.  316:69-86.  LINK

(41) Steube, T.R., Altenritter, M.E., and B.D. Walther. 2021. Distributive Stress: individually variable responses to hypoxia expand trophic niches in fish.  Ecology.  102:e03356.  LINK

(40) Nelson, T.R., Hightower, C.L., Coogan, J., Walther, B.D., and S.P. Powers.  2021.  Patterns and consequences of life history diversity in salinity exposure of an estuarine dependent fish.  Environmental Biology of Fishes.  104:419-436.  LINK

(39) Avigliano, E., Volpedo, A.V., and B.D. Walther. 2020. Editorial: Studying the biology of aquatic animals through calcified structures.  Frontiers in Marine Science.  7:687. LINK 

(38) Walther, B.D., Bachand, P.T., Hinson, A., O'Connell, C.A. & J.W. Turner. 2020. Investigating reconstructed inflows and pathogen infection patterns between low-relief and high-relief subtropical oyster reefs.  Experimental Results. 1:e23.  LINK 

(37) Walther, B.D. 2019.  The art of otolith chemistry: interpreting patterns by integrating perspectives.  Marine & Freshwater Research. 70:1643-1658. LINK

(36) Altenritter, M.E., and B.D. Walther. 2019. The legacy of hypoxia: tracking carryover effects of low oxygen exposure in a demersal fish using geochemical tracers.  Transactions of the American Fisheries Society.  148:569-583.  LINK

(35) Mohan, J.A., and B.D. Walther. 2018. Integrating multiple natural tags to link migration patterns and resource partitioning across a subtropical estuarine gradient.  Estuaries and Coasts. 41:1806-1820.  LINK

(34) Seeley, M.E., and B.D. Walther. 2018. Facultative oligohaline habitat use in a mobile fish inferred from scale chemistry. Marine Ecology Progress Series. 598:233-245. LINK

(33) Altenritter, M.E., Cohuo, A., and B.D. Walther. 2018. Proportions of demersal fish exposed to sublethal hypoxia revealed by otolith chemistry.  Marine Ecology Progress Series. 589:193-208. LINK

(33) Seeley, M.E., and B.D. Walther. In Press. Facultative oligohaline habitat use in a mobile fish inferred from scale chemistry. Marine Ecology Progress Series. LINK

(32) Seeley, M.E., Logan, W.K., and B.D. Walther. 2017. Consistency of elemental and isotope-ratio patterns across multiple scales from individual fish. Journal of Fish Biology. 91:928-946. LINK

(31) Walther, B.D., Limburg, K.E., Jones, C.M., and J.J. Schaffler. 2017. Frontiers in otolith chemistry: insights, advances and applications. Journal of Fish Biology. 90:473-479. LINK

(30) Mohan, J.A., and B.D. Walther. 2016. Out of breath and hungry: natural tags reveal trophic resilience of Atlantic croaker to hypoxia exposure. Marine Ecology Progress Series. 560:207-221.  LINK

(29) Mohan, S.D., Mohan, J.A., Connelly, T.L., Walther, B.D., and J. W. McClelland. 2016. Fatty-acid biomarkers and tissue-specific turnover: validation from a controlled feeding study in juvenile Atlantic croaker Micropogonias undulatus. Journal of Fish Biology. 89:2004-2023. LINK

(28) Mohan, J.A., Smith, S.D., Connelly, T.L., Attwood, E.T., McClelland, J.W., Herzka, S.Z., and B.D. Walther. 2016. Tissue-specific isotope turnover and discrimination factors are affected by diet quality and lipid content in an omnivorous consumer.  Journal of Experimental Marine Biology & Ecology. 479:35-45.  LINK

(27) Seeley, M., Miller, N., and B.D. Walther.  2015.  High resolution profiles of elements in Atlantic tarpon (Megalops atlanticus) scales obtained via cross-sectioning and laser ablation ICP-MS: a literature survey and novel approach for scale analyses.  Environmental Biology of Fishes. 98:2223-2238.  LINK

(26) Walther, B.D., Munguia, P., and L.A. Fuiman. 2015. Frontiers in marine movement ecology: mechanisms and consequences of migration and dispersal in marine habitats.  Biology Letters. 11:20150146. LINK

(25) Mohan, J.A., and B.D. Walther. 2015. Spatiotemporal variation of trace elements and stable isotopes in subtropical estuaries: II. Regional, local, and seasonal salinity-element relationships.  Estuaries and Coasts. 38:769-781. LINK

(24) Walther, B.D., and M.K. Nims. 2015. Spatiotemporal variation of trace elements and stable isotopes in subtropical estuaries: I. Freshwater endmembers and mixing curves.  Estuaries and Coasts. 38:754-768. LINK

(23) Limburg, K.E., Walther, B.D., Lu, Z., Jackman, G., Mohan, J., Walther, Y., Nissling, A., Weber, P.K., and A.K. Schmitt. 2015.  In search of the dead zone: use of otoliths for tracking fish exposure to hypoxia.  Journal of Marine Systems. 141:167-178. LINK

(22) Nims, M.K., and B.D. Walther. 2014. Contingents of Southern Flounder from subtropical estuaries revealed by otolith chemistry.  Transactions of the American Fisheries Society. 143:721-731.  LINK

(21) Woodcock, S.H., and B.D. Walther. 2014. Concentration-dependent mixing models predict values of diet-derived stable isotope ratios in fish otoliths. Journal of Experimental Marine Biology & Ecology. 454:63-69. LINK

(20) Woodcock, S.H., and B.D. Walther. 2014. Trace elements and stable isotopes in Atlantic tarpon scales reveal movements across estuarine gradients.  Fisheries Research. 153:9-17. LINK

(19) Mohan, J., Rahman, M.S., Thomas, P., and B.D. Walther. 2014. Influence of constant and periodic experimental hypoxic stress on Atlantic croaker otolith chemistry.  Aquatic Biology. 20:1-11.  LINK

(18) Walther, B.D., Kingsford, M.J., and M.T. McCulloch. 2013. Environmental records from Great Barrier Reef corals: inshore versus offshore drivers.  PLoS ONE. 8(10):e77091.  LINK

(17) Walther, B.D. and J. Rowley. 2013. Drought and flood signals in subtropical estuaries recorded by stable isotope ratios in biogenic carbonates. Estuarine, Coastal & Shelf Science. 133:235-243. LINK

(16) Woodcock, S.H., Grieshaber, C.A., and B.D. Walther. 2013. Dietary transfer of enriched stable isotopes to mark otoliths, fin rays and scales.Canadian Journal of Fisheries & Aquatic Sciences. 70:1-4. LINK

(15) Albuquerque, C.Q., Miekeley, N., Muelbert, J.H., Walther, B.D., and A.J. Jaureguizar. 2012. Estuarine dependency in a marine fish evaluated with otolith chemistry. Marine Biology. 159:2229-2239. LINK

(14) Walther, B.D., and K.E. Limburg. 2012. The use of otolith chemistry to characterize diadromous migrations. Journal of Fish Biology. 81:796-825. LINK

(13) Upton, S.A., Walther, B.D., Thorrold, S.R., and J.E. Olney. 2012. Use of a natural isotopic signature in otoliths to evaluate scale-based age determination for American shad.  Marine & Coastal Fisheries. 4:346-357. LINK

(12) Walther, B.D., T. Dempster, M. Letnic and M.C. McCulloch.  2011. Movements of diadromous fish in large unregulated tropical rivers inferred from geochemical tracers. PLoS ONE. 6(4):e18351.  LINK

(11) Bloomfield, A.L., Elsdon, T.S., Walther, B.D., Gier, E.J., and B.M. Gillanders. 2011. Temperature and diet affect carbon and nitrogen isotopes of fish muscle: can amino acid nitrogen isotopes explain effects? Journal of Experimental Marine Biology & Ecology. 399:48-59.LINK

(10) Walther, B.D., Kingsford, M.J., O’Callaghan, M. and M.C. McCulloch. 2010. Interactive effects of ontogeny, food ration and temperature on elemental incorporation in otoliths of a coral reef fish. Environmental Biology of Fishes. 89:441-451. LINK

(9) Walther, B.D. and S. R. Thorrold. 2010. Limited diversity in natal origins of immature anadromous fish during ocean residency. Canadian Journal of Fisheries & Aquatic Sciences. 67:1699-1707. LINK

(8) Walther, B.D., Gillanders, B.M., and T.S. Elsdon. 2010. Interactive effects of food quality, temperature and rearing time on condition of juvenile black bream Acanthopagrus butcheri. Journal of Fish Biology. 76:2455-2468. LINK

(7) Walther, B.D. and S. R. Thorrold. 2009. Inter-annual variability in isotope and elemental ratios recorded in otoliths of an anadromous fish. Journal of Geochemical Exploration. 102:181-186. LINK

(6) Clarke, L.M., Walther, B.D., Munch, S.B., Thorrold, S.R., and D.O. Conover. 2009. Chemical signatures in the otoliths of a coastal marine fish, Menidia menidia, from the northeastern United States: spatial and temporal differences. Marine Ecology Progress Series. 384:261-271. LINK

(5) Walther, B.D. and S.R. Thorrold. 2008. Continental-scale variation in otolith geochemistry of juvenile American shad.Canadian Journal of Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences. 65:2623-2635. LINK

(4) Walther, B.D., Thorrold, S.R. and J.E. Olney. 2008. Geochemical signatures in otoliths record natal origins of American shad. Transactions of the American Fisheries Society. 137:57-69. LINK

(3) Strasser, C.A., Mullineaux, L.S., and B.D. Walther. 2008. Growth rate and age effects on Mya arenaria shell chemistry: implications for biogeochemical studies. Journal of Experimental Marine Biology & Ecology. 355:153-163. LINK

(2) Elsdon, T.S., Wells, B.K., Campana, S.E., Gillanders, B.M., Jones, C.M., Limburg, K.E., Secor, D.H., Thorrold, S.R., and B.D. Walther. 2008. Otolith chemistry to describe movements and life-history parameters of fishes: hypotheses, assumptions, limitations, and inferences. Oceanography & Marine Biology: An Annual Review. 46: 297-330. LINK

(1) Walther, B.D., and S.R. Thorrold. 2006. Water, not food, contributes the majority of strontium and barium deposited in the otoliths of a marine fish. Marine Ecology Progress Series. 311:125-130. LINK