Jonathan Kolby
Investigation of the International Aquarium Trade as a Pathway for the Global Dispersal of Amphibian Chytrid Fungus (Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis)
| Location | Country | Categories | Date |
|---|---|---|---|
| South Africa | South Africa | Africa, Amphibians, Marine | 29 Sep 2008 |
Amphibian chytrid fungus (Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis), currently threatens the existence of nearly one third of all known amphibian species and has contributed towards a catastrophic decline in global amphibian biodiversity over the past several decades. This pathogen invades the epidermis of amphibians and is responsible for an often lethal condition known as chytridiomycosis. Many species have already vanished and hundreds more face imminent extinction due to this emerging infectious disease. Although habitat destruction continues to be a strong driving force behind the global decline in amphibians, wildlife disease can sometimes prove to be much more insidious and difficult to detect and control.
My investigation aims to help reduce the progression of the current global amphibian extinction crisis by identifying a major global dispersal route of the amphibian chytrid fungus (Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis). Researchers have been investigating the potential for live amphibians to act as vectors of this disease, but no studies have been conducted to determine the potential for water within aquarium fish shipments to transport and spread this pathogen when amphibians are not directly present. I intend to show that the international movement of contaminated water may prove to be a more serious biodiversity threat than that posed by live infected amphibians in the pet trade. It is much more likely that contaminated water which is released into the environment will follow a direct route toward existing bodies of water and spread disease than it is for escaped infected amphibians to travel similar distances. My overarching goal is to produce a reliable body of data which can later be used to influence the establishment of international regulations and sanitation protocols necessary to protect wildlife from pathogen pollution.
For more information contact J_Kolby@hotmail.com