My current research interests are in fish culture with particular emphasis on reproductive biology. Long-term international collaborative studies have been a particularly important component of my activities. Management of reproduction is vital to aquaculture, as many fishes of economic importance do not reproduce away from their natural habitat, therefore, spawning   must be accomplished through induced means.  A related consideration for some fishes is that reproduction may be unwanted or recruitment excessive, and therefore control is desirable.  Examples include introduction of exotic species where prevention of naturalization is required or where recruitment of an otherwise viable culture species adversely affects individual growth. 
These various problems have been addressed through hormone-induced spawning, steroid- induced sex reversal, interspecific hybridization, and/or chromosome manipulation at fertilization. These research activities have included four species of Chinese carps, several species of tilapia, and common carp, all of which are exotic fishes; native species have included striped bass, channel catfish, largemouth bass, paddlefish and sturgeon.

 I have been active in more general fishery biology investigations, particularly reservoir and large river fisheries, including the evaluation of sampling techniques.  Emphasis has been on predator/prey and growth relationships involving striped bass and largemouth bass with shads and bluegill.

• Linhart, O., Y. Cheng, M. Rodina, D. Gela, V. Tuckova, W.L. Shelton, M. Tinkir, D. Memis and M. Xin. 2020. Sperm management of European catfish (Silurus glanis L.) for effective reproduction and genetic conservation. Aquaculture 529:735620.
• Laczynska, B., M.A.M. Siddique, E. Ziomek, W.L. Shelton, and D. Fopp-Bayat. 2020. Early weaning effects on survival, growth and histopathology of larval sterlet Acipenser ruthenus. North American Journal of Aquaculture 82(2):181-189.
• Xin, M., Y. Cheng, M. Rodina, V. Tuckova, W.L. Shelton and O. Linhart. 2020. Improving motility and fertilization capacity of low-quality sperm of sterlet Acipenser ruthenus during storage. Theriogenology 156: 90-96.
• Linhart, O., Y. Cheng, M. Xin, M. Rodina, V. Tuckova, W.L. Shelton and V. Kaspar. 2020. Standardization of egg activation and fertilization in sterlet (Acipenser ruthenus). Aquaculture Reports 17:100381
• Cheng, Y., M. Xin, D. Gela, M. Rodina, V. Tuckova, M.A.M Siddique, W.L. Shelton and O. Linhart. 2020. Optimization of sterlet (Acipenser ruthenus) egg incubation. Animal Reproduction Science 215:106334.
• Dzyuba, V., W.L. Shelton, V. Kholodnyy, S. Boryshpolets, J. Cosson and B. Dzyuba. 2019. Fish Sperm biology in relation to urogenital system structure. Theriogenology 132:153-163.
• Shelton, W.L., S.D. Mims, K.J. Semmens and R. Cuevas-Uribe. 2019. Artificial propagation of paddlefish: An overview of developments. Pages 191-210 in J.D. Schooley and D.L. Scharnecchia, editors. Paddlefish: Ecological, Aquacultural, and Regulatory Challenges to Managing a Global Resource. American Fisheries Society, Special Publication Symposium Proceedings, 2-5 February 2017, Oklahoma City, OK.
• Gomelsky, B. and W.L. Shelton. 2019. Sex control and chromosome manipulation in Cyprinidae: Common Carp and Grass Carp. Pages 793-823, Vol. II, Chapter 41 in Wang, H., F. Piferrer S-L. Chen, and Z-G. Shen, editors. Sex Control in Aquaculture. John Wiley & Sons Ltd. (ISBN: 978-1-119-12726-0).
• Shelton, W.L. and Richard Snow. 2017. Recruitment of two non-native river-spawning fishes in Lake Texoma, Oklahoma and Texas. Proc. Okla. Acad. Sci. 97:61-66.
• Dzyuba, B., J. Cosson, V. Dzyuba, P. Fedorov, O. Bondarenko, M. Rodina, O. Linhart, W.L. Shelton, S. Boryshopolets. 2017. Sperm maturation in sturgeon (Actinopterygii, Acipenseriformes): A review. Theriogenology 97:134-138.
• Linhart, O. W.L. Shelton, V. Tuckova, M. Rodina and S.A.M. Siddique. 2016. Effects of temperature on in vitro short-term storage of sterlet sturgeon (Acipenser ruthenus) ova.  Reproduction in Domestic Animals, 51:165-170 (doi: 10.1111/rda.12661).
• Mims, S.D. and W. L. Shelton, eds. 2015. Paddlefish Aquaculture. Wiley-Blackwell Publishers, 320 pp.
• Shelton, W.L. 2015. Introduction. Pages 1-10, in S.D. Mims & W.L. Shelton, editors. Paddlefish Aquaculture, Wiley-Blackwell.
• Shelton, W.L. 2015. Biology. Pages 11-76 in S.D. Mims & W.L. Shelton, editors. Paddlefish Aquaculture, Wiley-Blackwell.
• Mims, S.D. and W.L. Shelton. 2015. Propagation and early culture techniques. Pages 77-128 in Paddlefish Aquaculture, Wiley-Blackwell.