Protecting endangered frogs
Conservation biologist Dr Anthony Waddle from Applied Biosciences at Macquarie University has been named one of three winners for the prestigious Future for Nature Award.
Dr Waddle's research protects Australia's endangered green and golden bell frogs from a global amphibian pandemic of the chytrid fungus – a disease that has devastated ecosystems and driven 90 amphibian species to extinction worldwide.
"It's a huge honour to win this award alongside researchers who have made such massive impacts in conservation," says Dr Waddle.
His innovative 'frog saunas' allow frogs to heat up to clear infection and gain immunity. This research, recently published in Nature, is one of few effective approaches for conserving wild frogs affected by the fungus.
The Future for Nature Award provides three winners with €50,000 each and has featured keynote speakers including Sir David Attenborough.
With the Future For Nature Award prize money Anthony will:
- upscale his work from the population to the species level to counteract the ongoing winter epidemics that are eroding wild frog numbers
- deliver vaccinations and construct frog saunas across the east coast of Australia to support endangered green and golden bell frogs
- engage with local councils and community groups to construct backyard ponds and frog saunas. Green and golden bell frogs were incredibly well-adapted to living alongside humans before the arrival of chytrid and with the addition of frog saunas to the urban landscape, this could be the case once again.
Dr Waddle partners with Sydney Olympic Park Authority and citizen scientists to implement his solutions.
Winners will attend a presentation in May in the Netherlands.