Dr. David Walters is a Supervisory Research Ecologist at the Columbia Environmental Research Center.
David has been a research ecologist with the USGS since 2008. Prior to that, he was an ecologist for the U.S. EPA, National Exposure Research Laboratory for 6 years. He is a freshwater ecologist with broad training in stream ecology, human impacts on aquatic ecosystems, and ecotoxicology. His current research topics include food webs and contaminant flux, aquatic-riparian linkages, stream fish ecology, land use and climate change, and invasive species.
Current Projects/Areas of Interest
- Riparian indicators of contaminant exposure at Great Lakes Areas of Concern (AOCs)
We are investigating contaminant flux from aquatic to nearby terrestrial (riparian) shoreline habitats. In particular we use riparian spiders (many of which feed almost exclusively on adult aquatic insects) to characterize contamination at these sites and to evaluate the effectiveness of their remediation. - Leaky rivers: Nutrient retention and productivity in Rocky Mountain streams under alternative stable states
This project investigates how the volume of wood and log jams have declined in Rocky Mountain streams since European settlement, how the loss of wood affects stream geomorphology, communities, nutrient cycling, and productivity, and what management actions can be taken to restore lost ecosystem functions. - Mechanisms for metal uptake and trophic transfer in stream and riparian food webs in mineralized landscapes
We are investigating how metals in streams (derived from natural geologic sources as well as mines) are transferred from streams to riparian zones and how this contamination alters ecological linkages between these systems. This work combines large-scale field studies with mesocosm experiments to better understand processes driving the patterns we observe in nature. - “Metal webs” for the Grand Canyon
We are developing quantitative food webs to measure metal flux (mercury, selenium, and other trace metals) in the Colorado and Little Colorado rivers in Grand Canyon. These studies will identify key pathways of metal exposure to important fish species, such as the endangered humpback chub. - Consequences of climate change for alpine lake-stream networks and native fishes in the southern Rocky Mountains
This project investigates the importance of alpine lakes in the ecology of native cutthroat trout and how lakes could mitigate the negative effects of rising temperatures on these threatened populations.
Education and Certifications
Ph.D. Ecology, University of Georgia (UGA), 2002
M.S. Conservation Ecology, UGA, 1997
B.A. Anthropology, UGA, 1991
Science and Products
Flood Redistributes Mercury in Grand Canyon Aquatic Food Webs
Areas of Concern: Technical Guidance for Assessing Remedy Effectiveness, Restoration, and Revitalization at Great Lakes AOCs and Great Lake Legacy Act (GLLA) Sites
Aquatic Experimental Laboratory (AXL)
Aquatic Ecology and Contaminants
Climate Change and Trout
Effects of Contaminants on Linked Aquatic and Terrestrial Food Webs
Survival, growth, behavior and mercury concentrations of mayflies exposed to elevated dietary methylmercury and aqueous selenium
Salt Marsh Turbidity at Mockhorn Island, VA; Plum Island, MA; York River, VA; and Altamaha River, GA
Adult aquatic insect emergence, insect pesticide concentrations and water chemistry of wetlands in the Prairie Pothole Region, North Dakota, USA, 2015-16
Trace metals in water and biota in and near headwater streams in the Colorado Mineral Belt
Consumption rates and total mercury concentration of food items and consumers collected at six sites on the Colorado River in the Grand Canyon, USA, 2007-2009
Polychlorinated biphenyl concentrations and lipid content in riparian spiders at the Ashtabula River Area of Concern, USA
Zinc concentrations and isotopic signatures of an aquatic insect (mayfly, Baetis tricaudatus)
GPS data from 2019 and 2020 campaigns in the Chesapeake Bay region towards quantifying vertical land motions
Use of riparian spiders as sentinels of persistent and bioavailable chemical contaminants in aquatic ecosystems: A review
Lethal impacts of selenium counterbalance the potential reduction in mercury bioaccumulation for freshwater organisms☆
Ecosystem modification and network position impact insect-mediated contaminant fluxes from a mountaintop mining-impacted river network
Insect-mediated contaminant flux at the land–water interface: Are ecological subsidies driving exposure or is exposure driving subsidies?
Examining historical mercury sources in the Saint Louis River estuary: How legacy contamination influences biological mercury levels in Great Lakes coastal regions
Variation in metal concentrations across a large contamination gradient is reflected in stream but not linked riparian food webs
Practical considerations for the incorporation of insect-mediated contaminant flux into ecological risk assessments
Synthesis: A framework for predicting the dark side of ecological subsidies
Introduction: Ecological subsidies as a framework for understanding contaminant fate, exposure, and effects at the land-water interface
Uranium bioaccumulation dynamics in the mayfly Neocloeon triangulifer and application to site-specific prediction
Do two wrongs make a right? Persistent uncertainties regarding environmental selenium-mercury interactions
Non-USGS Publications**
**Disclaimer: The views expressed in Non-USGS publications are those of the author and do not represent the views of the USGS, Department of the Interior, or the U.S. Government.
North American Aquatic Macroinvertebrate Digital Reference Collection (NAAMDRC)
Aquatic invertebrates are a key component of freshwater ecosystems, and an understanding of aquatic invertebrate taxonomy is central to freshwater science. The North American Aquatic Macroinvertebrate Digital Reference Collection (NAAMDRC) was created by the USGS Aquatic Experimental Lab (AXL) to provide users with high-quality digital microscopy photographs.
Science and Products
- Science
Flood Redistributes Mercury in Grand Canyon Aquatic Food Webs
Scientists coupled the concepts of energy flow through food webs with measurements of mercury in organic matter and animals to estimate mercury fluxes and fate during an experimental flood in the Colorado River. The flood redistributed mercury in simple, upstream food webs but not in more complex, downstream food webs.Areas of Concern: Technical Guidance for Assessing Remedy Effectiveness, Restoration, and Revitalization at Great Lakes AOCs and Great Lake Legacy Act (GLLA) Sites
Technical Guidance for Assessing Remedy Effectiveness, Restoration, and Revitalization at Great Lakes AOCs and Great Lake Legacy Act (GLLA) SitesAquatic Experimental Laboratory (AXL)
Aquatic invertebrates are a key component of freshwater ecosystems, and an understanding of aquatic invertebrate taxonomy is central to freshwater science. The U.S. Geological Survey Aquatic Experimental Lab (AXL) at the Fort Collins Science Center has developed the North American Aquatic Macroinvertebrate Digital Reference Collection (NAAMDRC) to provide users with a graphic tool to aid in the...Aquatic Ecology and Contaminants
The Aquatic Ecology and Contaminants Team investigates critical ecological processes operating in aquatic and riparian ecosystems and how these processes are affected by human activities. We address questions through a combination of field studies, laboratory experiments, and modeling, while working at multiple levels of biological organization from cells through ecosystems. Topics include land...Climate Change and Trout
Cold-water fishes like trout, salmon, and charr are especially vulnerable to shifting conditions related to climate change; for example, warmer temperatures and more variable hydroclimate. Native cutthroat trout of the southern Rocky Mountains now only occupy a tiny fraction of their historic habitats because of stressors such as non-native fishes, habitat fragmentation, and detrimental land...Effects of Contaminants on Linked Aquatic and Terrestrial Food Webs
Most aquatic insects live in fresh water as larvae and move to land as flying adults to complete their life cycle. Although often ignored, the emergence of adults can transfer the effects of contamination from aquatic to terrestrial ecosystems as the adults are eaten by predators such as spiders, birds, and bats. - Data
Survival, growth, behavior and mercury concentrations of mayflies exposed to elevated dietary methylmercury and aqueous selenium
Survival and size of mayflies at each life stage, as well as MeHg concentrations in diatoms and mayflies exposed to low and high MeHg concentrations and a range of selenomethione (SeMet) concentrations.Salt Marsh Turbidity at Mockhorn Island, VA; Plum Island, MA; York River, VA; and Altamaha River, GA
We measured turbidity along transects from channel to marsh interior for 4 sites along the east coast of the United States at: Mockhorn Island, on the Eastern Shore of VA, USA; Plum Island in MA, USA; Goodwin Islands on the York River, VA USA; and the Altamaha River estuary, in GA, USA.Adult aquatic insect emergence, insect pesticide concentrations and water chemistry of wetlands in the Prairie Pothole Region, North Dakota, USA, 2015-16
This data release includes sampling location data, field-collected wetland attribute data, field-collected water chemistry data, laboratory-processed water chemistry data (anions, cations, alkalinity, nutrients, chlorophyll a concentrations, dissolved organic carbon, and specific ultraviolet absorbance, pesticide concentrations), dry mass of adult aquatic insects emerging from the surface of the wTrace metals in water and biota in and near headwater streams in the Colorado Mineral Belt
This data release includes sampling location data, field-collected water chemistry data, cation and anion concentration data for water and tissues of submerged aquatic vegetation, aquatic insect larvae, adult aquatic insects and riparian spiders from 35 first- and second-order sub-alpine streams that ranged over several orders of magnitude in metal concentrations but were similar in elevation, geoConsumption rates and total mercury concentration of food items and consumers collected at six sites on the Colorado River in the Grand Canyon, USA, 2007-2009
Consumption rates and total mercury concentration of food items and consumers collected at six sites on the Colorado River in the Grand Canyon. Sites ranged from 0-367 river kilometers downstream of Lees Ferry (AZ, USA). Samples were analyzed for total Hg using cold vapor atomic fluorescence (CVAF, Tekran Model 2600 CVAF spectrometer) following EPA Method 7474. Consumption rate samples were collecPolychlorinated biphenyl concentrations and lipid content in riparian spiders at the Ashtabula River Area of Concern, USA
We measured polychlorinated biphenyl (PCB) concentrations in two taxa of riparian spiders from nine sites in 2011 at the Ashtabula River Area of Concern. We analyzed the extracts for 122 congeners following EPA method SW846 Method 8270D using gas chromatography mass spectrometry in the selective ion monitoring (SIM) mode. All target compounds were quantified using the method of internal standards,Zinc concentrations and isotopic signatures of an aquatic insect (mayfly, Baetis tricaudatus)
Insect metamorphosis often results in substantial chemical changes that can fractionate isotopes and alter contaminant concentrations. We exposed larval mayflies (Baetis tricaudatus) to an aqueous zinc gradient (3-340 g Zn/l) and measured the change in zinc tissue concentrations at different stages of metamorphosis. We also measured changes in stable isotopes (δ15N and δ13C) in u - Multimedia
- Publications
Filter Total Items: 57
GPS data from 2019 and 2020 campaigns in the Chesapeake Bay region towards quantifying vertical land motions
The Chesapeake Bay is a region along the eastern coast of the United States where sea-level rise is confounded with poorly resolved rates of land subsidence, thus new constraints on vertical land motions (VLM) in the region are warranted. In this paper, we provide a description of two campaign-style Global Positioning System (GPS) datasets, explain the methods used in data collection and validatioUse of riparian spiders as sentinels of persistent and bioavailable chemical contaminants in aquatic ecosystems: A review
Aquatic ecosystems around the world are contaminated with a wide range of anthropogenic chemicals, including metals and organic pollutants, that originate from point and nonpoint sources. Many of these chemical contaminants have complex environmental cycles, are persistent and bioavailable, can be incorporated into aquatic food webs, and pose a threat to the health of wildlife and humans. IdentifyLethal impacts of selenium counterbalance the potential reduction in mercury bioaccumulation for freshwater organisms☆
Mercury (Hg), a potent neurotoxic element, can biomagnify through food webs once converted into methylmercury (MeHg). Some studies have found that selenium (Se) exposure may reduce MeHg bioaccumulation and toxicity, though this pattern is not universal. Se itself can also be toxic at elevated levels. We experimentally manipulated the relative concentrations of dietary MeHg and Se (as selenomethionEcosystem modification and network position impact insect-mediated contaminant fluxes from a mountaintop mining-impacted river network
Aquatic-terrestrial contaminant transport via emerging aquatic insects has been studied across contaminant classes and aquatic ecosystems, but few studies have quantified the magnitude of these insect-mediated contaminant fluxes, limiting our understanding of their drivers. Using a recent conceptual model, we identified watershed mining extent, settling ponds, and network position as potential driInsect-mediated contaminant flux at the land–water interface: Are ecological subsidies driving exposure or is exposure driving subsidies?
Chemical contamination of freshwaters is a global problem. In the United States alone, millions of kilometers of rivers and hectares of lakes and wetlands are impaired from contamination by chemicals including mercury, pesticides, polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), and trace metals (US Environmental Protection Agency, 2017). Efforts to mitigate the risks of contamination have largely focused on aquExamining historical mercury sources in the Saint Louis River estuary: How legacy contamination influences biological mercury levels in Great Lakes coastal regions
Industrial chemical contamination within coastal regions of the Great Lakes can pose serious risks to wetland habitat and offshore fisheries, often resulting in fish consumption advisories that directly affect human and wildlife health. Mercury (Hg) is a contaminant of concern in many of these highly urbanized and industrialized coastal regions, one of which is the Saint Louis River estuary (SLRE)Variation in metal concentrations across a large contamination gradient is reflected in stream but not linked riparian food webs
Aquatic insects link food web dynamics across freshwater-terrestrial boundaries and subsidize terrestrial consumer populations. Contaminants that accumulate in larval aquatic insects and are retained across metamorphosis can increase dietary exposure for riparian insectivores. To better understand potential exposure of terrestrial insectivores to aquatically-derived trace metals, metal concentratiPractical considerations for the incorporation of insect-mediated contaminant flux into ecological risk assessments
Insect-mediated contaminant flux is truly an interdisciplinary concept that merges ideas from many technical areas of science (e.g., environmental chemistry, landscape ecology, and entomology). This chapter introduces risk assessors to this emerging and ecologically relevant concept by distilling the main mechanisms that drive insect-mediated contaminant flux and integrating them together so thatSynthesis: A framework for predicting the dark side of ecological subsidies
In this chapter, we synthesize the state of the science regarding ecological subsidies and contaminants at the land-water interface and suggest research and management approaches for linked freshwater-terrestrial ecosystems. Specifically, we focus on movements of animals with complex life histories and the detrital inputs associated with animal and plant matter delivered to freshwaters. We presentIntroduction: Ecological subsidies as a framework for understanding contaminant fate, exposure, and effects at the land-water interface
Ecologists have long recognized that ecological subsidies (the flow of organic matter, nutrients, and organisms between ecosystems) can strongly affect ecosystem processes and community structure in the recipient ecosystem. Animal movements, organic matter flows, and food web dynamics between linked aquatic and terrestrial systems can also influence contaminant fate, exposure, and effects at the lUranium bioaccumulation dynamics in the mayfly Neocloeon triangulifer and application to site-specific prediction
Little is known about the underlying mechanisms governing the bioaccumulation of uranium (U) in aquatic insects. We experimentally parameterized conditional rate constants for aqueous U uptake, dietary U uptake, and U elimination for the aquatic baetid mayfly Neocloeon triangulifer. Results showed that this species accumulates U from both the surrounding water and diet, with waterborne uptake prevDo two wrongs make a right? Persistent uncertainties regarding environmental selenium-mercury interactions
Mercury (Hg) is a pervasive environmental pollutant and contaminant of concern for both people and wildlife that has been a focus of environmental remediation efforts for decades. A growing body of literature has motivated calls for revising Hg consumption advisories to co-consider selenium (Se) levels in seafood and implies that remediating aquatic ecosystems with ecosystem-scale Se additions couNon-USGS Publications**
Wanty, R.B., L.S. Balistrieri, J.S. Wesner, D.M. Walters, F. Podda, G.De Giudici, C. Stricker, T.S. Schmidt, J.M. Kraus, P. Lattanzi, R.E. Wolf, and R. Cidu. 2015. What zinc isotopes might tell us about biological uptake in systems contaminated with heavy metals. Procedia Earth and Planetary Sciences 13:60-63.Dang, V.D., D.M. Walters, and C. M Lee. 2012. Historical changes in polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) contaminated sediments in Twelvemile Creek, South Carolina (USA). Amer. J. Env. Sci. 8:11-15.Walters, D.M., et al. 2010. Mercury contamination in fish in mid-continent great rivers of the United States: Importance of species traits and environmental factors. Env. Sci. Tech. 44:2947-2953.Walters, D.M., A.H. Roy, and D.S. Leigh. 2009. Environmental indicators of macroinvertebrate and fish assemblage integrity in urbanizing watersheds. Ecol. Ind. 9:1222-1233.Rashleigh, B., M.C. Barber, and D.M. Walters. 2009. Foodweb modeling for polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) in the Twelvemile Creek Arm of Lake Hartwell, South Carolina, USA. Ecol. Mod. 220:254-264.Johnson, B.R., K.M. Fritz, K.A. Blocksom, and D.M. Walters. 2009. Larval salamanders and channel geomorphology are indicators of hydrologic permanence in forested headwater streams. Ecol. Ind. 9:150-159.Walters, D.M., et al. 2008. Red shiner invasion and hybridization with blacktail shiner in the upper Coosa River, USA. Bio. Inv. 10:1229-1242.Walters, D.M., et al. 2008. The dark side of subsidies: Adult stream insects export organic contaminants to riparian predators. Ecol. App. 18:1835-1841.Walters, D.M. et al. 2008. Influence of trophic position and spatial location on polychlorinated biphenyl (PCB) bioaccumulation in a stream food web. Env. Sci. Tech. 42:2316-2322.Fritz, K.M., B.R. Johnson, and D.M. Walters. 2008. Physical indicators of hydrologic permanence in forested headwater streams. Jour. Nor. Amer. Benth. Soc. 27:690-704.Rybczynski, S.M., D.M. Walters, et al. 2008. Comparing the trophic position of stream fishes using stable isotope and gut contents analyses. Eco. Freshw. Fish 17:199-206.Walters D.M., et al. 2007. Reach-scale geomorphology affects organic matter and consumer δ13C in a forested Piedmont stream. Freshw. Bio. 52:1105-1119.Walters, D.M., D.S. Leigh, M.C. Freeman, B.J. Freeman, and C.M. Pringle. 2005. Effect of urbanization on fish assemblages and habitat quality in a Piedmont river basin. Pages 69-86 in Brown, L. R., R. M. Hughes, R. Gray, and M. R. Meador (eds), Effects of Urbanization on Stream Ecosystems. AFS, Symposium 47, Bethesda, Maryland.Walters, D.M., et al. 2003a. Geomorphology and fish assemblages in a Piedmont river basin, USA. Freshw. Bio. 48:1950-1970.Walters, D.M., et al. 2003b. Urbanization, sedimentation, and the homogenization of fishes in the Etowah River Basin, Georgia Piedmont, USA. Hydrobiologia 494:5-10.Walters, D.M. and B.J. Freeman. 2000. Distribution of Gambusia (Poeciliidae) in a southeastern river system and the use of fin ray counts for species identification. Copeia 2000:555-559.Kraus, J. M., Schmidt, T. S., Walters, D. M., Wanty, R. B., Zuellig, R. E. and Wolf, R. E. (2014), Cross-ecosystem impacts of stream pollution reduce resource and contaminant flux to riparian food webs. Ecological Applications, 24: 235–243. doi: 10.1890/13-0252.1**Disclaimer: The views expressed in Non-USGS publications are those of the author and do not represent the views of the USGS, Department of the Interior, or the U.S. Government.
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North American Aquatic Macroinvertebrate Digital Reference Collection (NAAMDRC)
Aquatic invertebrates are a key component of freshwater ecosystems, and an understanding of aquatic invertebrate taxonomy is central to freshwater science. The North American Aquatic Macroinvertebrate Digital Reference Collection (NAAMDRC) was created by the USGS Aquatic Experimental Lab (AXL) to provide users with high-quality digital microscopy photographs.
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