This project is led by three researchers from Spain and the UK. For over 15 years we have worked together to study the disease Chytridiomycosis, and constitute the research group with the highest contribution to knowledge of this disease within Europe. Some of our contributions to the study of this disease have been published in high impact journals and are cited below. You can request the text of these and other publications by the authors by emailing: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
Some examples of our most notable contributions include: the identification of the first case occurred in Europe in 1997 and a description at the genetic, phenotypic and virulence level, of a global hyper-virulent strain of the Chytridiomycosis fungus that causes amphibian disease in almost all parts of the world.
Since 1999 our research team has been working with the managers of the Sierra de Guadarrama, monitoring amphibian populations and undertaking conservation actions. In 2008 we launched the Centre for Captive Breeding of Threatened Amphibians of the Sierra de Guadarrama with the Ministry of Environment of the Community of Madrid and we supervise and direct the activities of the centre. This project is part of the amphibian conservation plan of the Centre for Research, Monitoring and Evaluation of the National Park.
Headers
Dr. Jaime Bosch
Museo Nacional de Ciencias Naturales, CSIC
Expert in behaviour and conservation of amphibians. Responsible for the joint management with the Community of Madrid of the Centre for Captive Breeding of Threatened Amphibians of the Guadarrama Mountains and since 1999 has been monitoring the amphibian populations in the Peñalara Massif.
Dr. Matthew C. Fisher
Imperial College London
Expert in epidemiology of fungi. Investigates using an evolutionary approach, environmental and biological factors that drive emerging fungal diseases in humans, animals and plants. Project leader of the BiodivERsA project RACE (Risk Assessment of Chytridiomycosis to European amphibian biodiversity).
Dr. Trenton W. J. Garner
Zoological Society of London
Expert in chytridiomycosis and ranavirosis of amphibians. Investigates host/parasite relationships, the persistence of parasites and their response in the host and their effect on population dynamics. He is involved in many amphibian conservation projects worldwide.
Celia Serrano
SOS Anfibios Guadarrama
Celia holds a degree in Biology and master's in Ecosystem Restoration. She carries out fieldwork, analysis of samples in the laboratory and maintains the Breeding Centre. Celia is responsible for coordinating the dissemination of the project and the volunteers.
Camino Monsalve
SOS Anfibios Guadarrama
Biology graduated. She carries out fieldwork, the laboratory samples analysis and de manteniance duties in Breeding Centre. She coordinates the diffusion project and the blog. Since a few years she is studying the inter-annual variation of infectious load of the Chytrid fungus in adult Bufo spinosus toads.
Other members of the team
Mark Wass
SOS Anfibios Guadarrama
Mark Wass graduated from the Royal (Dick) School of Veterinary Studies (University of Edinburgh) in 2004 and holds a degree in Veterinary Medicine and Surgery; he is studying towards the MVetSci in Conservation Medicine at the University of Edinburgh. Mark is working on a project to develop a disinfection protocol against Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis in Urodelans (Salamanders).
Julia Catasús
SOS Anfibios Guadarrama
Julia Catasús holds a degree in Environmental Sciences, and is studying towards the MSc in Ecology at the Autonomous University of Madrid (UAM) and the Complutense University of Madrid (UCM). Julia and Iris are researching a method for successfully protecting and developing the eggs of the Common midwife toad (Alytes obstetricans) under controlled lab conditions.
Iris Calleja
SOS Anfibios Guadarrama
Iris Calleja holds a degree in Biology, and is currently studying towards the MSc in Ecology at the Autonomous University of Madrid (UAM) and the Complutense University of Madrid (UCM).Julia and Iris are researching a method for successfully protecting and developing the eggs of the Common midwife toad (Alytes obstetricans) under controlled lab conditions.
Cristina Sausor
SOS Anfibios Guadarrama
Holds a degree in Biology and a Master's in Ethology. Cristina assists in the maintenance of the Centre for Captive Breeding of Threatened Amphibians of the Guadarrama Mountains and is currently involved in the captive breeding of the Iberian frog (Rana iberica). Christina is also scientific illustrator specializing in amphibians and reptiles.
Tomás Navazo
SOS Anfibios Guadarrama
Undergraduate student of Environmental Science in the Autonomous University of Madrid. Last year, he was an intern in the Captive Breading Centre of Threatened Amphibians from Sierra de Guadarrama and his dissertation was about the antipredatory response of R.Iberica larvae.
Dra. Leyla Davis
SOS Anfibios Guadarrama
Leyla grew up in Florida and studied at Cornell University in Ithaca (New York, USA), gaining her PhD at the University of Zürich (Switzerland). She is currently undertaking postdoctoral project, with a grant from the Swiss National Science Foundation. Her work will be developed in the Guadarrama National Park, investigating the use of probiotics in mitigating chytridiomycosis.
Nate Stein
SOS Anfibios Guadarrama
Graduated from the University of Florida in Gainesville (Florida, USA) in Economics cum laude and earned a J.D. from New York University School of Law (New York, USA). He works in international human rights and is interested in conservation of nature and wildlife and in writing. His working languages are English, Spanish, and Mandarin, but he also speaks some Portuguese and French.
Maialen Iriso
SOS Anfibios Guadarrama
Graduated in Translation and Interpretation, is responsible for the English language version of this blog. She is interested in nature and wildlife conservation and collaborates with several NGOs. Her working languages are English and Spanish, but she also speaks Catalan, Basque and German.
Gloria Hernández
SOS Anfibios Guadarrama
Graduated in Translation and Interpretation and student of a MSc in Specialized Translation. Animal lover, helps out in translating the blog into English.
Andrea Portal Ruiz
SOS Anfibios Guadarrama
Biology student at Alcalá de Henares University. She is doing her practices collaborating with SOS Anfibios Guadarrama where she analyses the fungal infection samples and helps in the growing Centre. Although, she is executing her final thesis about de reproductive successful of Bufo Spinosus in Laguna Grande.
Follow @SOS_Anfibios on Twitter
Follow SOS Anfibios Guadarrama on Facebook
Published contributions in high impact journals
Fernández-Beaskoetxea S, Carrascal LM, Fernández-Loras A, Fisher MC, Bosch J, 2015. Short term minimum water temperatures determine levels of infection by the amphibian chytrid fungus in Alytes obstetricans tadpoles. PLoS ONE 00
Solís R, Penna M, De la Riva I, Fisher MC, Bosch J, 2015. Presence of Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis in anurans of highlands of the northern Andes of Chile. Herpetological Journal 25, 55-59
Albert EM, Fernández-Beaskoetxea S, Godoy JA, Tobler U, Schmidt BR, Bosch J, 2015. Genetic management of an amphibian population after a chytridiomycosis outbreak. Conservation Genetics 16:103-111
Martel A, Blooi M, Adriaensen C, Van Rooij P, Beukema W, Fisher MC, Farrer RA, Schmidt BR, Tobler U, Goka K, Lips KR, Muletz C, Zamudio K, Bosch J, Lötters S, Wombwell E, Garner TWJ, Spitzen-van der Sluijs A, Salvidio S, Ducatelle R, Nishikawa K, Nguyen TT, Van Bocxlaer I, Bossuyt F, Pasmans F, 2014. Science 346, 630-631
Price SJ, Garner TWJ, Nichols RA, Balloux F, Ayres C, Mora-Cabello de Alba M, Bosch J, 2014. Catastrophic declines of host communities due to an introduced and indiscriminate ranavirus. Current Biology 24, 2586-2591
Bosch J, Fernández-Beaskoetxea S, Scherer RD, Amburgey SM, Muths E, 2014. Demography of Common Toads after local extirpation of co-occurring Midwife Toads. Amphibia-Reptilia 35, 293-303
Ayres C, Ayllón E, Bosch J, Montori A, Ortíz-Santaliestra M, Sancho V, 2013. Conservation and declines of amphibians in Spain. In: Amphibian Biology. Volume 11, Status of Conservation and Decline of Amphibians: Eastern Hemisphere. Part 3, Western Europe (Heatwole H, Wilkinson JW, ed). Pelagic Publishing, Exeter, UK
Garner TWJ, Martel A, Bielby J, Bosch J, Anderson L, Meredith A, Cunningham AA, Fisher MC, Henk DA, Pasmans F, 2013. Infectious diseases that may threaten Europe's amphibians. In: Amphibian Biology. Volume 11, Status of Conservation and Decline of Amphibians: Eastern Hemisphere. Part 3, Western Europe (Heatwole H, Wilkinson JW, ed). Pelagic Publishing, Exeter, UK
Obón E, Carbonell F, Valbuena-Ureña E, Alonso M, Larios R, Fernández-Beaskoetxea S, Fisher MC, Bosch J, 2013. Chytridiomycosis surveillance in the critically endangered Montseny Brook Newt, Calotriton arnoldi, Northeastern Spain. Herpetological Journal 23, 237-240
Bosch J, García-Alonso D, Fernández-Beaskoetxea S, Fisher MC, Garner TW, 2013. Evidence for the introduction of lethal chytridiomycosis affecting wild Betic midwife toads (Alytes dickhilleni). EcoHealth 10, 82-89
Doddington BJ, Bosch J, Oliver JA, Grassly NC, García G, Benedikt RS, Garner TWJ, Fisher MC, 2013. Context-dependent amphibian host population response to an invading pathogen. Ecology 98, 1795-1804
Gabor CR, Fisher MC, Bosch J, 2013. A non-invasive stress assay shows that chytridomycosis infected tadpole populations have elevated corticosterone levels. PLoS ONE 8, e56054
Rosa GM, Anza I, Moreira PL, Conde J, Martins F, Fisher MC, Bosch J, 2013. Evidence of chytrid-mediated population declines in common midwife toad in Serra da Estrela, Portugal. Animal Conservation 16, 306-315
Ayres C, Bentata V, Böll S, Borgula A, Bosch J, Bosman W, Duguet R, Goffart P, Kordges T, Schley L, Schmidt B, Teixeira J, Uthleb H, Verbist V, 2012. Action Plan for the conservation of the common midwife toad (Alytes obstetricans) in the European Union. http://ec.europa.eu/environment/nature/conservation/species/guidance/pdf/EUSAP_Alytes.pdf
Fisher MC, Schmidt BR, Henle K, Schmeller DS, Bosch J, Aanensen DM, Miaud C, Garner TWJ, 2012. RACE: Risk Assessment of Chytridiomycosis to European Amphibian Biodiversity. FrogLog 101, 45-47
Farrer RA, Weinert LA, Bielby J, Garner TWJ, Balloux F, Clare F, Bosch J, Cunningham A, Weldon C, du Preez LH, Anderson L, Kosakovsky-Pond SL, Shahar-Golan R, Henk D, Fisher MC, 2011. Multiple emergences of genetically diverse amphibian-infecting chytrids include a globalized hypervirulent recombinant lineage. PNAS 108, 18732-18736
Ortiz-Santaliestra ME, Fisher MC, Fernández-Beaskoetxea S, Fernández-Benéitez MJ, Bosch J, 2011. Ambient ultraviolet B radiation decreases the prevalence of infection by Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis in two amphibian species. Conservation Biology 25, 975-982
Martín-Beyer B, Fernández-Beaskoetxea S, García G, Bosch J, 2011. Re-introduction program for the common midwife toad and Iberian frog in the Natural Park of Peñalara in Madrid, Spain: can we defeat chytridiomycosis and trout introductions? In: Global Re-introduction Perspectives: 2011. More case studies from around the globe (Soorae PS, ed). Gland, Switzerland, IUCN/SSC Re-introduction Specialist Group - Abu Dhabi, UAE; pp. 81-84
El Mouden EH, Slimani T, Donaire D, Fernández-Beaskoetxea S, Fisher MC, Bosch J, 2011. First record of the chytrid fungus Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis in North Africa. Herpetological Review 42, 71-75
Woodhams DC, Bosch J, Briggs ChJ, Cashins S, Davis LR, Lauer A, Muths E, Puschendorf R, Schmidt BR, Sheafor B, Voyles J, 2011. Mitigating amphibian disease: strategies to maintain wild populations. Frontiers in Zoology 8, 8
Lötters S, Kielgast J, Bielby J, Schmidtlein S, Bosch J, Veith M, Walker SF, Fisher MC, Rödder D, 2010. The link between rapid enigmatic amphibian decline and the globally emerging chytrid fungus. EcoHealth 6, 358-372
Bosch J, Fernández-Beaskoetxea S, Martín-Beyer B, 2010. Time for chytridiomycosis mitigation in Spain. Alien: the invasive species bulletin 30, 54-58
Walker SF, Bosch J, Gomez V, Garner TWJ, Cunningham AA, Schmeller DS, Ninyerola M, Henk D, Ginestet C, Arthur CP, Fisher MF, 2010. Factors driving pathogenicity versus prevalence of amphibian panzootic chytridiomycosis in Iberia. Ecology Letters 13, 372-382
Solís R, Lobos G, Walker SF, Fisher MC, Bosch J, 2010. Presence of Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis in feral populations of Xenopus laevis in Chile. Biological Invasions 12, 1641-1646
Rödder D , Kielgast J, Bielby J, Schmidtlein S, Bosch J , Garner TWJ, Veith M, Walker SF, Fisher MC, Lötters S, 2009. Global amphibian extinction risk assessment for the panzootic chytrid fungus. Diversity 2009, 52-65
Garner TWJ, Walker S, Bosch J, Leech S, Rowcliffe JM, Cunningham AA, Fisher MC, 2009. Life history trade-offs influence mortality associated with the amphibian pathogen Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis. Oikos 118, 783-791
Fisher MC, Bosch J, Yin Z, Stead DA, Walker J, Selway L, Brown AJP, Walker LA, Gow NAR, Stajich JE, Garner TWJ, 2009. Proteomic and phenotypic profiling of the amphibian pathogen Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis shows that genotype is linked to virulence. Molecular Ecology 18, 415-429
Walker SF, Bosch J, James TY, Litvintseva AP, Oliver JA, Piña S, García G, Rosa AG, Cunningham AA, Hole S, Griffiths R, Fisher MC, 2008. Invasive pathogens threaten species recovery programs. Current Biology 18, R853-R854
Bosch J, Rincón PA, 2008. Chytridiomycosis-mediated expansion of Bufo bufo in a montane area of Central Spain: an indirect effect of the disease. Diversity & Distributions 14, 637-643
Walker SF, Baldi M, Jenkins D, Garner TWJ, Cunningham AA, Hyatt AD, Bosch J, Fisher MC, 2007. Environmental detection of Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis in a temperate climate. Diseases of Aquatic Organisms 77, 105-112
Bosch J, Carrascal LM, Durán L, Walker S, Fisher MC, 2007. Climate change and outbreaks of amphibian chytridiomycosis in a montane area of Central Spain; is there a link? Proceedings of the Royal Society B 274, 253-260
Bosch J, Martínez-Solano I, 2006. Chytrid fungus infection related to unusual mortalities of Salamandra salamandra and Bufo bufo in the Peñalara Natural Park (Central Spain). Oryx 40, 84-89
Garner TWJ, Walker S, Bosch J, Hyatt AD, Cunningham AA, Fisher MC, 2005. Chytrid fungus in Europe. Emerging Infectious Disease 11, 1639-1641
Bosch J, Boyero L, Martínez-Solano I, 2004. Spatial scales for the management of amphibian populations. Biodiversity and Conservation 13, 409-420
Bosch J, Martínez-Solano I, 2003. Factors influencing occupancy of breeding ponds in a montane amphibian assemblage. Journal of Herpetology 37, 410-413
Martínez-Solano I, Bosch J, García-París M, 2003. Demographic trends and community stability in a montane amphibian assemblage. Conservation Biology 17, 238-244
Bosch J, Martínez-Solano I, García-París M, 2001. Evidence of a chytrid fungus infection involved in the decline of the common midwife toad (Alytes obstetricans) in protected areas of Central Spain. Biological Conservation 97, 331-337
