News

After an 18 year study on reestablishing mountain yellow-legged frogs in the Sierra Nevada, we are proud to share a success story in amphibian conservation (covered by New Scientist [PDF]). The key to our success? Frog evolution and two decades of collaboration among academic, non-profit, and agency scientists.

Mountain yellow-legged (MYL) frogs are endangered due to (1) the introduction of non-native trout into their largely fishless habitat, and (2) the invasion of the novel amphibian fungal pathogen, Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis (Bd) in the Sierra. While trout can be removed from some MYL frog habitats, resulting in rapid recovery of frog populations, Bd cannot be removed from the landscape. As such, MYL frogs must overcome the pressures of this pathogen to recover.

Although most MYL frog populations experience local extinction after a Bd outbreak, some populations persist despite ongoing Bd infections. Frogs in these populations show increased resistance to Bd (i.e. the ability to limit the severity of Bd infection). In a new study, we show that a) this resistance is the result of evolution in frogs, and b) we can leverage this evolution of resistance to Bd to recover MYL frogs through reintroductions. By reintroducing resistant frogs into habitats they formerly occupied, we can reestablish MYL frogs in the presence of Bd across their historical range. Armed with this powerful recovery tool, we will require multi-agency collaboration, patience, and adequate funding to continue reestablishing MYL frogs throughout the Sierra.

We are excited to be team members of a newly-funded National Science Foundation Biology Integration Institute called RIBBiTR (Resilience Institute Bridging Biological Training and Research). Working with a large and collaborative team of scientists and educators located around the country and conducting research around the globe, we will work toward uncovering mechanisms of amphibian resilience to infectious disease and global change. Read more on the RIBBiTR website and from The Current at UC Santa Barbara.

Check out our 2021 field season accomplishments in our annual newsletter. In addition to summarizing our recovery activities, we also provide an in depth description of what a mountain yellow-legged frog reintroduction entails. In short, it takes a village. Read on in the newsletter to learn how we fund mountain-yellow legged frog recovery, and how you can help (like donating your used smartphone!). A big thank you to our hard-working technicians, the staff at UC Santa Barbara Earth Research Institute and the Sierra Nevada Aquatic Research Lab, and all of our partners in frog conservation for a successful season.

Instead of sitting forgotten in a desk drawer, your old smartphone could play a critical role in endangered species recovery and mountain lakes research. The Mountain Lakes Research Group uses smartphones for recording data in the field. Compared to entering data on paper, entering data in smartphones increases efficiency and reduces errors, saving us time and money. Our current smartphones are still chugging along, but we are in need of updating and growing our fleet. Read instructions here to see if your old smartphone could be eligible for donation (spoiler alert, it probably is).

Read up on highlights from the field season and critical results from a long-term frog recovery project in our annual newsletter. Also learn how we fund mountain-yellow legged frog recovery, and how you can help. 2020 has been quite the year, and we send a big thank you to our partners who helped make our work possible during the COVID-19 pandemic and an historic wildfire season.