Scientists meet to stem frog deaths

[Hamilton Reef]

Scientists meet to stem frog deaths
Deadly fungus depleting species

ATLANTA -- Ponds and swamps are becoming eerily silent as a mysterious killer fungus wipes out frog populations around the globe, a phenomenon likened to the extinction of dinosaurs.

Scientists from around the world met Thursday and will continue today in Atlanta to organize a worldwide effort to stem the deaths by asking zoos, aquariums and botanical gardens to take in threatened frogs until the chytrid fungus can be stopped. Each frog would get cleaned to make sure it doesn't introduce the scourge into the protected area.

http://www.freep.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070216/NEWS07/702160448/1001/BUSINESS05

[sadocf1]

I have noticed an alarming depletion here in N. E. Mich. of frogs, snakes turtles, also drastically reduced numbers of birdlife. It is part of what we leave for future generations, along w/the many undesirable species we have introduced.

[frenchriver1]

I have noticed an alarming depletion here in N. E. Mich. of frogs, snakes turtles, also drastically reduced numbers of birdlife. It is part of what we leave for future generations, along w/the many undesirable species we have introduced.
See the thread about the death of the bees, essential to pollination...

[Hamilton Reef]

CURE FOR FROG KILLING FUNGUS?

Rebecca Williams June 23, 2008

Frogs are in trouble. A nasty disease caused by a fungus is wiping out frogs around the world. But researchers might have found a solution. Rebecca Williams has more:

A disease caused by something called chytrid fungus is sweeping through frogs. When the disease moves through a frog population it can wipe out 80 percent of the entire population. Scientists have been rushing to find something that might help.

Reid Harris is a biologist at James Madison University. He says he’s discovered there are friendly bacteria that live on some types of frogs. And they can kill the fungus.

“It does seem like the pathogen moves in this predictable wave, so you might be able to get out in front of that wave sort of like a fire line.”

Harris says it might be possible to give wild frogs extra doses of the bacteria to fight off the fungus. But first they have to make sure there won’t be side effects.

For the Environment Report I’m Rebecca Williams.

[KI Jim]

I'll bet they would love to import some of that frog killing fungus to Hawaii. One of my friends lives there and supposedly that frog that got imported there makes their lives miserable with the noise.