Patuxent Wildlife Research Center
NAAMP III Archive - deformed frogs
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Patuxent
Wildlife Research Center
NAAMP III Archive
- deformed frogs
Home | Archive
by Alphabetical Order | Archive by Category
Joseph E. Tietge
U.S. Environmental
Protection Agency
Mid-Continent Ecology Division
6201 Congdon Blvd
Duluth, MN 55804
email: EPAJET@DU4500.DUL.EPA.GOV
Disclaimer: The summary information presented for the workshop, to the best of our knowledge, is accurate. The opinions or policies which may appear in the presentations from the workshop are those of the respective authors and do not represent the policy or opinion of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.
Introduction
Recurring reports of deformed frogs have been appearing in the general news
media with increasing frequency over the past year. The apparent increase in
this phenomenon has caused considerable concern in the general public and in
the scientific community since it is generally assumed that the anomalies are
related to one or more environmental factors. Interest by the general public
is heightened by the perception that the anomalies in frogs could indicate an
environmental degradation relevant to human health. While there are no scientific
data supporting the link to human health, neither are there convincing data
which eliminates this concern.
Amphibian population status, in itself, is an important current issue, as site specific and worldwide amphibian populations appear to be at risk. The predominant causes for amphibian declines are probably habitat destruction, habitat degradation, habitat fragmentation, and predator introduction. However, chemical contamination and ultraviolet radiation have also been hypothesized to contribute to amphibian population decline.
The Mid-Continent Ecology Division (MED) of the USEPA National Health and Environmental Effects Research Laboratory, convened a workshop 25-26 September 1996 in Duluth, MN to discuss the issues surrounding amphibian deformities. This workshop was co-sponsored by Minnesota Sea Grant and Natural Resources Research Institute of the University of Minnesota. As primary sponsor of the workshop, MED's interest in the issue is derived from its mission to conduct research to protect freshwater resources and ecosystems, including amphibians.
The major objectives of the workshop were to:
The meeting, chaired by Joseph Tietge (U.S. Environmental Protection Agency),
was attended by 45 participants and 17 observers, representing a broad array
of scientific disciplines. Formal presentations took up most of the first day
of the meeting. The last two hours of the first day were spent in two discussion
groups. One group, with discussion leader Mike Lannoo (Ball State University),
discussed field studies and population related issues and the other group, with
discussion leader Val Beasley (Univ. of Illinois), discussed laboratory studies
and mechanism issues. Each group presented a summary of their findings to a
meeting of the whole, which was followed by a general discussion and the establishment
of several summary statements.
PRESENTATIONS
| Title of Presentation | Presenter |
| Overview of amphibian population status in the upper Midwest | Gary Casper Milwaukee Public Museum |
| Deformity observations in Minnesota | Judy Helgen Minnesota Pollution Control Agency |
| Recent observations of deformed anurans in Wisconsin | Bob DuBois Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources |
| Developmental abnormalities in free-living anurans from agricultural habitats | Martin Ouellet McGill University |
| Historical observations and recent species diversity of deformed anurans | Dave Hoppe Univ. of Minnesota-Morris |
| Pattern development in limb morphogenesis and the possible role of exogenous retinoic acid analogs in developmental abnormalities | Ken Muneoka Tulane Univ. |
| Evidence that trematodes cause deformities, including extra limbs, in amphibians | Stan Sessions Hartwick College |
| Are increases in ultraviolet light a plausible factor contributing to amphibian deformities? | Gary Ankley U.S. Environmental Protection Agency |
| Atmospheric and non-point source pollutants | Deb Swackhammer Univ. of Minnesota-Minneapolis |
| Eco-epidemiological studies and fractionation methods for complex mixtures | Phil Cook U.S. Environmental Protection Agency |
Please note: summaries are also presented as individual papers in the deformed
frogs room.
Discussion of Findings Relative to Meeting Objectives
U.S. Department of the Interior
U.S. Geological Survey
Patuxent Wildlife Research Center
Laurel, MD, USA 20708-4038
http://www.pwrc.usgs.gov/naamp3/naamp3.html
Contact: Sam Droege, email: Sam_Droege@usgs.gov
Last Modified: June 2002