Amphibians are integral components of food chains, linking aquatic and terrestrialecosystems. They are also important indicators of ecological health and change since they require healthy ecosystems that include breeding areas (often ponds), foraging areas, and places for over-wintering. Unfortunately, amphibians are experiencing catastrophic declines in many places as a result of habitat loss/degradation, commercial overharvest, and infectious diseases. Two pathogens implicated in amphibian declines – ranaviruses and chytrid fungus – are being studied in the Northwest Territories. The Canadian North is not necessarily the first place people think of when it comes to studying amphibians. However, the low levels of biodiversity, and rapid rates of climate change and industrial development in the North create opportunities to use northern amphibian populations as a model to better understand disease dynamics.

This presentation will introduce the audience to the ecology of these remarkable creatures, draw attention to the causes and consequences of global amphibian declines, and highlight recent findings from the ongoing research in the North.