STUDENT NETWORK FOR AMPHIBIAN PATHOGEN SURVEILLANCE
STUDENT NETWORK FOR AMPHIBIAN PATHOGEN SURVEILLANCE
Amphibian conservation through education and student surveillance of emerging pathogens
LOGOS/ASSETS
STUDENT NETWORK FOR AMPHIBIAN PATHOGEN SURVEILLANCE
Amphibian conservation through education and student surveillance of emerging pathogens
STUDENT NETWORK FOR AMPHIBIAN PATHOGEN SURVEILLANCE
Amphibian conservation through education and student surveillance of emerging pathogens
SUMMARY The logo is inspired from SNAPS’s mission of looking out for emerging pathogens in amphibians, hence the pathogen like icon inside the letter P. The circles are also a metaphor for the connection between students and learning about amphibian conservation. The logo works well for documents, and has many variations which will allow for many options for branding.
COLORS
FONTS
Aa
C: 0% M: 0% Y: 0% K: 100% R: 35 G: 31 B: 32
Aa
Paralucent-Medium
Ubuntu-Regular
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Student
Network for Amphibian Pathogen Surveillance
Conserve
•
Surveil
•
Learn
WHAT IS SNAPS?
We are a network of scientists and educators committed to the conservation of amphibians against the threat of emerging pathogens, with an initial focus on Batrachochytrium salamandrivorans (Bsal). This deadly pathogen threatens North American salamanders but is yet to be detected here. Early detection of Bsal will improve the efficacy of conservation actions, and to this end, we are coordinating, facilitating and empowering students to surveil for Bsal. We are embedding this Bsal surveillance into undergraduate curriculum where students learn about Bsal through the lens of various academic disciplines and then actively contribute by sampling for Bsal among their local amphibians. Our model is mutually beneficial: salamanders serve as an opportunity for active and experiential learning among students, who in turn benefit salamanders through the surveillance and early detection of a potentially devastating pathogen. To meet our dual goals of early detection of Bsal and engaged student learning, we are developing curricula that can be adopted in participating courses, with accompanying protocols, supplies, and other support. Meanwhile, other courses may not have the opportunity for field sampling but can also participate by adopting our in-class curriculum. Students learn best when they are actively engaged in a real-world issue that challenges them to apply their course content. We are leveraging this timely conservation crisis for student learning, while simultaneously leveraging students’ passion, time, and energy for Bsal surveillance. With the participation of educational institutions across a wide geographic and taxonomic range, we are developing an ongoing and studentpowered effort for the early detection of Bsal in North America.
MISSION
Our mission is to coordinate, facilitate and empower student learning and surveillance of emerging amphibian pathogens in North America.
VISION
Our vision is the conservation of amphibians through active student learning that powers the early detection of emerging pathogens in North America.
Heat maps of the USA showing the consequences of Bsal introduction. The consequence assessment (c) is a combination of species richness (a) and environmental suitability (b).
Site sampling o A site sampling event may occur over a period of up to 2 weeks. o If you plan to sample a site on more than 1 day, please ensure that individual animals are not inadvertently sampled more than once. o Avoid sampling the same species from a site more than once per year. Sample size o Large sample sizes of individual species are optimal both to maximize confidence that Bsal is absent and to accurately estimate Bd prevalence at a site. However, smaller sample sizes are still valuable to meet our goal of Bsal detection, so feel free to sample species that may be in low abundance. o The optimal sample size is 20 individuals per species per site sampling event (i.e., period of up to 2 weeks during which a site may be sampled). o Our current budget can accommodate sampling 2 species for a grand total of ~40 samples per researcher per year. The 2 species may be sampled at the same site or different sites. Sampling 20 of 2 species is preferable over sampling 40 of 1 species. o If you are unable to sample 20 individuals of a species within a site sampling event, other species may be sampled to reach a total of ~20 animals. o Groups will be provided with plenty of extra swabs so feel free to use them.
Table 1. Species tested in lab susceptibility trials (as of Sep. 2019). 2
1
Desmognathus fuscus
Eurycea cirrigera
Price et al. 2006. Biological Conservation 133(4):436─441.
Yonahlossee salamander (Plethodon yonalohsee) Grayson Highlands State Park, Virginia
Litoria spenceri, IUCN CR
Photo J. Lindley McKay White = L. spenceri adult Black = L. spenceri juv Hatched = L. nudidigitus
Litoria nudidigitus
Gillespi et al. 2015. Animal Conservation
Virginia
Weller’s Salamander (Plethodon welleri)
Tennessee
North Carolina
Olson et al. 2013 PLOS ONE
[Information about the Bsal surveillance effort in general & sampling procedures that they will do today]
J.L. McKay