(Also, map of Chytrid’s path in Central America here.)
By now, if you read this blog, you’re well aware of what the chytrid fungus is, and does. If not, watch this TBS video, or click here for a basic article. The crisis has drawn a who’s who list of amphibian specialists and scientists to this week’s global summit in Tempe, Arizona, USA. The conference is titled “Amphibian Decline and Chytridiomycosis: Translating Science into Urgent Action.” They’re now in the third day of the agenda as of this updated posting. Among the 200 or so attending:
- Dr. Joyce Longcore, who discovered and named the deadly fungus
-
Ché Weldon, South African researcher who traced the origins of the fungus to the southern part of Africa
- Dr. Russell Poulter, from New Zealand, who made news last month by demonstrating that a common ointment for human eyes will remove chytrid fungus from amphibians
- Karen Lips, associate professor at Southern Illinois University, who has charted chytrid’s destructive path in Central America.
-
Representatives of Amhibian Ark
