Amphibian Conservation Education Project: Bridging the Gap between Citizen Scientists and Bench Scientists

What is the Amphibian Crisis?What is the Amphibian Crisis?

Over 6,000 species of frogs, toads, newts, Over 6,000 species of frogs, toads, newts, salamanders & caecilians in the worldsalamanders & caecilians in the world

First comprehensive assessment of amphibian First comprehensive assessment of amphibian populations conducted in 2004 by IUCNpopulations conducted in 2004 by IUCN

Concluded that 2,000-3,000 are threatened with Concluded that 2,000-3,000 are threatened with extinctionextinction

Why are they Why are they disappearing?disappearing?

Habitat loss Habitat loss PollutionPollution Climate changeClimate change DiseasesDiseases Invasive Invasive speciesspecies Over collectionOver collection

Chytrid FugusChytrid Fugus

First detected in an African Clawed Frog, First detected in an African Clawed Frog, Xenopus laevisXenopus laevis in 1938 in 1938

African Clawed Frogs were transported African Clawed Frogs were transported all over the world for use in human all over the world for use in human pregnancy testingpregnancy testing

Fungus attacks the skin and affects Fungus attacks the skin and affects amphibians ability to amphibians ability to

“ “breathe” through their skinbreathe” through their skin

Why should people care?Why should people care?

Act as exterminatorsAct as exterminators Vital role in Vital role in

ecosystemecosystem Indicators of Indicators of

environmental healthenvironmental health Aid in medical Aid in medical

research and the research and the pharmaceutical pharmaceutical industryindustry

Cultural importance Cultural importance

Gastric-Brooding Toad

Rheobatrachus silus

Benefits of Amphibian Benefits of Amphibian Conservation Education ProjectConservation Education Project

• Aid herpetologists with labor and time Aid herpetologists with labor and time intensive surveysintensive surveys

• Develop community stewardship Develop community stewardship through teachers and studentsthrough teachers and students

• Creates awareness of ecological Creates awareness of ecological concerns amphibians faceconcerns amphibians face

• Develop inquiry skills and apply skills Develop inquiry skills and apply skills to scienceto science

Field Field WorkWork

• Participants collect:Participants collect:• Habitat descriptionHabitat description

• Water quality dataWater quality data

• GPS coordinatesGPS coordinates

• Pictures of the Pictures of the specimen specimen

• Swab samples to Swab samples to test for chytridtest for chytrid

Making it relevant Making it relevant Omaha’s Zoo partnered with The Biofinity ProjectOmaha’s Zoo partnered with The Biofinity Project

Biofinity was able to quickly configure a user friendly Biofinity was able to quickly configure a user friendly data repository for the Zoodata repository for the Zoo

Allows data and pictures to be easily uploaded, Allows data and pictures to be easily uploaded, stored and visually analyzedstored and visually analyzed

Allows students and herpetologists to track where Allows students and herpetologists to track where amphibian species and Chytrid fungus are being amphibian species and Chytrid fungus are being found throughout the statefound throughout the state

Amphibian Database “Administrators” are able to Amphibian Database “Administrators” are able to verify and edit data verify and edit data

Amphibian DatabaseAmphibian Database

Biofinity created data fields specific to Biofinity created data fields specific to amphibian projectamphibian project

Amphibian DatabaseAmphibian Database

Google Maps allows students and Google Maps allows students and herpetologists to visually analyze dataherpetologists to visually analyze data

Amphibian DatabaseAmphibian Database

Students are able to upload pictures of Students are able to upload pictures of amphibiansamphibians Allows herpetologists to confirm species Allows herpetologists to confirm species

sightingssightings

Project FutureProject Future

Continue training participantsContinue training participants Introduce database to herpetologists and Introduce database to herpetologists and

gain feedbackgain feedback Possibly create different querying methods Possibly create different querying methods

for usersfor users Tool to search for amphibians that test positive Tool to search for amphibians that test positive

for Chytrid fungusfor Chytrid fungus

The ConnectionThe Connection

Through partnerships, OHDZ will Through partnerships, OHDZ will profoundly impact amphibian educationprofoundly impact amphibian education

OHDZ is creating partnerships with one OHDZ is creating partnerships with one common goal; to preserve these species common goal; to preserve these species so that future generations can so that future generations can “Appreciate the Little Things”“Appreciate the Little Things”

ResourcesResources

www.omahazoo.comwww.omahazoo.com biofinity.unl.edu/biofinity/HDZ/amphibian/biofinity.unl.edu/biofinity/HDZ/amphibian/ www.saveafrog.orgwww.saveafrog.org www.globalamphibians.orgwww.globalamphibians.org www.amphibians.orgwww.amphibians.org www.amphibiaweb.orgwww.amphibiaweb.org

ReferencesReferences

IUCN, Conservation International and NatureServe. 2008. An Analysis IUCN, Conservation International and NatureServe. 2008. An Analysis of Amphibians on the 2008 IUCN Red List of Amphibians on the 2008 IUCN Red List <www.iucnredlist.org/amphibians>. Downloaded on 8 September <www.iucnredlist.org/amphibians>. Downloaded on 8 September 2010.2010.