Citizen Scientists Monitor a Deadly Fungus Threatening Amphibian Communities in Northern Coastal California, USA

Citizen scientists, including youth and their families from the Ecoclub, identified a significant presence of the deadly fungus Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis (Bd) in amphibian communities across Humboldt Bay National Wildlife Refuge and Redwood National and State Parks, California. Their findings revealed that 17% of 155 samples tested positive for Bd, with infections detected in four frog and toad species—foothill yellow-legged frogs, northern red-legged frogs, Pacific chorus frogs, and western toads—all except the latter being first-time reports for coastal northern California. The study also found that amphibians were more susceptible to Bd during cooler seasons (winter or spring) compared to warmer ones (summer or fall), and that younger citizen scientists (children ≤12 years old) nearly doubled the likelihood of detecting positive samples compared to teens or adults. This research underscores the conservation importance of monitoring amphibian health in northern California's coastal ecosystems and highlights the value of youth engagement in citizen science initiatives.

Group, E. A., Pope, K. L., Wengert, G. M., Foley, J. E., Ashton, D. T., & Botzler, R. G. (2016). CITIZEN SCIENTISTS MONITOR A DEADLY FUNGUS THREATENING AMPHIBIAN COMMUNITIES IN NORTHERN COASTAL CALIFORNIA, USA. Journal of Wildlife Diseases, 52(3), 516–523. https://doi.org/10.7589/2015-10-280