About This Project

Amphibian declines are occurring at alarming rates worldwide. To ensure a future for amphibians, we must urgently address this crisis and focus strategies on imperiled species. This includes the threatened frog, Eleutherodactylus cooki, found in high-risk cave systems across Puerto Rico and subjected to high levels of deadly fungal and tick parasites. Utilizing novel tracking techniques, we aim to determine how frog movement impacts between-cave parasite transmission and host survival.

Ask the Scientists

What is the context of this research?

With over 8,000 described species, amphibians are some of the most diverse and fascinating vertebrates in the world. Unfortunately, amphibians are in the midst of a global crisis, with over 32% of all amphibian species listed in the IUCN Red List as vulnerable, endangered, or critically endangered. Scientists have contributed these declines to factors including disease outbreaks, habitat destruction, and invasive species introductions. However, many species declines remain understudied- especially for reclusive or inaccessible species- leaving many on the brink of extinction without clear mitigation plans. To combat this issue, we will be focusing conservation efforts on an obscure, vulnerable-listed coqui frog, Eleutherodactylus cooki, found in caves across the island of Puerto Rico.

What is the significance of this project?

E. cooki inhabits rocky cave systems which are vulnerable to hurricanes, earthquakes, and flooding due to Puerto Rico’s high tectonic activity. With an increase in the frequency and intensity of climate change-related natural disasters, these cave habitats are facing insurmountable stress. In addition, E. cooki falls victim to two transmissible and lethal parasites: ticks and the fungal pathogen, Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis. Consequently, E. cooki faces multiplicative stressors whose effects remain entirely unknown. Our research will provide the knowledge needed to initiate successful conservation tactics for this cryptic species and provide insight into improved practices for tracking parasite transmission in other cryptic at-risk species.

What are the goals of the project?

We will monitor frog populations by assessing (1) cave structure and longevity, (2) individual parasite loads, and (3) movement between caves. I have constructed a LiDAR system to study cave structures, like interconnecting tunnels, which may provide migration routes (goal #1). We will use established methods for measuring parasite loads (goal #2), though I currently lack equipment to track frog movement (goal #3). We will measure 300 frogs’ baseline parasite loads and use subdermal ID tags to recapture frogs and assess changes in locality and parasitism over their lifetimes. This will reveal whether parasites can be transported between caves and potentially harm migrant and resident frogs. This will prioritize populations at highest risk of parasite transmission and subsequent declines.