State-of-the-art DNA technology and citizen science - "Frog in a drop of water" unleashes new prospects for amphibian research
Detective work for amphibian protection - for the first time, amphibian screening is being carried out throughout Austria by detecting their DNA traces in water - and everyone can take part. Amphibians - including frogs, toads, toads, salamanders and newts - are strictly protected in Austria. Nevertheless, populations are continuously and in some cases dramatically declining, which is mainly due to habitat loss.
Natural, private garden ponds can play an important role. They act as important possible retreats, but are usually not accessible to the public. In addition, there are often small and amphibian-rich waters that are only known to those familiar with the area. This is where citizen scientists come into play: Their efforts make a valuable contribution to species records and data on the distribution of the amphibian fungus Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis, or Bd.
Interested parties from all over Austria were able to apply until the end of March, and 1,120 sampling kits were sent out at the end of April. The precious DNA traces left behind by living organisms in the water can be filtered out using a very simple sampling method. A simple water sample can therefore be used to record the biodiversity in the pond and the presence of Bd. The finished filter is sent to the university, analysed in a high-tech laboratory and evaluated using bioinformatics. The results will be published in autumn 2024.
This project fulfils version 1.1 of the quality criteria for citizen science projects on Österreich forscht.