Amphibians are experiencing dramatic declines worldwide – in large part due to the fungal disease chytridiomycosis. Yet, some species are persisting with disease. Dr Laura Brannelly’s work aim to understand how and why some species survive while others continue to decline. She is passionate about merging scientific research with active management to increase conservation success.
While immunity and environmental factors are often seen as a key driver in understanding how some species are able to overcome wildlife disease, Dr Brannelly takes a different approach: understanding reproduction. When infected with a deadly disease, some specie will actually increase their breeding effort, and she has found this to be true in several frog species. Understanding how disease impacts breeding is another avenue that can help assist management and improve conservation and better understand the ecology of our precious Australian frog species.
2024