top of page

We have moved!

Overview of Our Research

In our research, we emphasize the use of controlled field experiments to solve applied problems and to answer questions posed by the public. In particular, our work focuses on issues related to marine invertebrate aquaculture, fisheries management and restoration. Within the Gulf of Mexico, species of interest include the eastern oyster, blue crabs and shrimp, which form the basis for important commercial and recreational fisheries. We are based at the Auburn University Shellfish Laboratory on the campus of the Dauphin Island Sea Lab on Dauphin Island, Alabama. (The most beautiful photographs on this site are courtesy of Fernando DeCillis.)

Team

30050802037_b5d7b440ce_k (2).jpg

Dr. Bill Walton

Associate Professor & Extension Specialist

IMG_0866 (1).jpg

Victoria Pruente

Ph.D. Candidate

pj--waters_med_hr (1).jpeg

PJ Waters

Ph.D. Candidate

IMG_2575.jpg

Kelsey Bisker

M.Sc., In Progress

Sarah_Hensey.jpg

Sarah Hensey

M.Sc., In Progress

MC.jpg

MC Eastburn

M.Sc., In Progress

IMG_20190411_135327.jpg

James Kelly

M.Sc., In Progress

IMG_6307_edited.jpg

John Lewis

M.Sc., In Progress

Our Research

FD__8791.JPG

Oyster Aquaculture: Improving Production, Quality & Profitability

FD__8654.jpg

Oyster Aquaculture: Reducing Risk to Consumers

FD__8485.JPG

Oyster Aquaculture: Environmental Interactions

oysterfishery.jpg

Assessment of Spat on Shell for Public Stock Enhancement

restoration.jpeg

Improving Oyster Restoration Efforts

applesnail_med_hr.png

Managing Aquatic & Marine Invasions

Find a complete list of our scientific publications on ResearchGate

Recent Scientific Publications

30050801757_40b1840291_k.jpg

Effects of desiccation practices and ploidy in cultured oysters, Crassostrea virginica, on Vibrio spp. abundances in Portersville Bay (Alabama, USA)

Grodeska, SM, JL Jones, WC Walton & CR Arias. 2019. Effects of desiccation practices and ploidy in cultured oysters, Crassostrea virginica, on Vibrio spp. abundances in Portersville Bay (Alabama, USA) Aquaculture In Press

triploid oyster seed

Elevated mortalities of triploid eastern oysters cultured off-bottom in northern Gulf of Mexico

Wadsworth, P, S Casas, J La Peyre & WC Walton. 2019. Unexplained mortalities of triploid eastern oysters cultured off-bottom in northern Gulf of Mexico. Aquaculture 505:363-373.

IMG_2584.jpg

A meta-analysis of growth rate in diploid and triploid oysters

Wadsworth, P, AE Wilson & WC Walton. 2018. A meta-analysis of growth rate in diploid and triploid oysters. Aquaculture

FD__8323.jpg

Effects of desiccation practices of cultured oysters, Crassostrea virginica, on Vibrio spp. in Portersville Bay (Alabama, USA)

Grodeska, SM, JL Jones, CR Arias & WC Walton. 2017. Effects of desiccation practices of cultured oysters, Crassostrea virginica, on Vibrio spp. in Portersville Bay (Alabama, USA). Journal of Food Protection 80:1280-1287.

FD__8485.JPG

Performance of oysters selected for dermo resistance compared to wild oysters in northern Gulf of Mexico estuaries

Casas, S, WC Walton, G Chaplin, S Rikard, J Supan & J La Peyre. 2017. Performance of oysters selected for dermo resistance compared to wild oysters in northern Gulf of Mexico estuaries. Aquaculture Environment Interactions 9:169-180.

Our Outreach

SeafoodSavvy.jpg

Seafood Savvy: Know Thy Seafood

FD__9628.JPG

Oyster Aquaculture Training, Assistance & Advice

LionfishCraigNewton.jpg

Understanding Marine Invasions

You can find more oyster farming tools here.

Recent Outreach Tools

FD__9607.JPG

Branding opportunities for oyster farmers (webinar)

Branding opportunities for oyster farmers. 10/12/16 1 hour 6 minute video webinar, produced by National Aquaculture Alliance

fullsizeoutput_4f42.jpeg

Oyster Sentinel: Oyster Disease Monitoring

Perkinsus marinus (Dermo) is the causative agent of a fatal disease of oysters. To see its distribution, prevalence and intensity in the Gulf of Mexico select an area of interest.

OntheLidBanner.jpeg

On the Lid Newsletter

A monthly newsletter for those interested in oyster farming in Mississippi and Alabama.

News

a994012531a064cee191b71c491599f4_XL.jpg

Planting the seeds of a new industry in Mississippi

Matt Jones highlights the training program in Mississippi

31114048138_4a4c71ca5a_o.jpg

Good Grit's 'Shucking for Schools'

Margaret Weinberg talks about the Alabama Oyster Social

FD__9980.jpg

Mobile Bay Magazine Feature

Emmett Burnett featured Bill Walton in this story.

Contact

150 Agassiz St
Dauphin Island, Alabama 36528
USA

251-861-3018, x2

  • facebook
  • twitter
  • instagram

Thanks for submitting!

bottom of page