Scientists ask the public to help with amphibian census
May 25 2011 -- Nearly one-third of amphibian species, including frogs, toads and salamanders, are threatened with extinction, and nearly 168 species are believed to have gone extinct in the last 20 years. Scientists seeking to understand and conserve these threatened creatures are seeking the public's help in tracking where amphibians are still present.
Assistant Professor of Biology Vance Vredenburg is part of a collaboration of scientists that has launched the Global Amphibian Blitz, a project that invites citizen scientists to help complete a census of the world's amphibians. Through the Global Amphibian Blitz website, members of the public can contribute details and photos of amphibians that they have spotted in the wild. For those without a species sighting to contribute, the website also features photos and information on the world's 7000 amphibian species and an interactive map of the observations submitted through the site.
Watch the YouTube video explaining how to get involved.
Read more about Vredenburg's research on global amphibian declines at: www.sfsu.edu/~news/2011/spring/42.html and /www.sfsu.edu/~news/2010/spring/47.html
-- Elaine Bible
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