Dr. Kerry M. Kriger
Founder & Executive Director of SAVE THE FROGS!
Qualifications
Ph.D. in Environmental Sciences
School of Environmental and Applied Sciences, Griffith University, Gold Coast, Australia
B.S. in Mechanical Engineering
School of Engineering and Applied Sciences, University of Virginia
My Research
The ultimate goal of all my research is to prevent the extinction of wildlife populations, and to ensure that the Earth has healthy ecosystems and wild places.
Amphibian populations have been declining worldwide at unprecedented rates, and nearly one-third of the world's 6,317 amphibian species are threatened with extinction. Rapid population declines have occurred in apparently pristine locations unaffected by habitat destruction, invasive species, or pollutants. Most of my research to date has focused on chytridiomycosis, an emerging infectious disease responsible for mass mortalities, population declines and extinctions of amphibian species on five continents. At least 285 amphibian species worldwide are affected by the disease.
Chytridiomycosis is one of a host of emerging infectious diseases that have been rapidly spread throughout the world in recent decades by unintended anthropogenic activities. As over two-thirds of emerging infectious diseases are transferable between wild animals, domesticated animals and humans (e.g. SARS, West Nile virus, HIV, anthrax), these diseases are considered a significant threat to both animal and human health in the 21st century. Furthermore, as amphibians are significant predators of ticks and mosquitoes, the loss of amphibian populations could lead to increased vector-borne illnesses (e.g. malaria, dengue fever, yellow fever, Lyme disease) in humans.
I investigated the degree to which Australian frog populations living at various altitudes and latitudes (and therefore various temperatures) are affected by the disease. Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis, the fungus that causes chytridiomycosis, has been shown in laboratory experiments to reach its highest pathogenicity at low temperatures, and thus I hypothesized that infection prevalence would be greatest in frogs living at higher altitudes, and at the cooler latitudes further from the equator. Furthermore, as the chytrid fungus cannot survive desiccation, I expected infections to be more prevalent in wetter regions. Although I found that the prevalence and severity of chytrid infections do indeed increase in cool, wet regions, I found no relationship whatsoever between altitude and chytrid levels: the chytrid fungus is widespread at all altitudes in southeast Queensland. This suggests that subtropical frogs are at high risk of disease-related decline.
Other work of mine has included quantifying the effect of chytridiomycosis on the survivorship of Stony Creek Treefrogs Litoria wilcoxii in a highly infected population in Southeast Queensland; documenting the seasonal nature of the disease; and confirming the hypothesis that amphibian species with more aquatic life histories are more prone to chytrid infections. I also investigated means by which methods of diagnosing the disease can be made more accurate and cost efficient.
This information has enabled conservation managers in eastern Australia to evaluate the threat of chytridiomycosis to species in the region. It also assists scientists worldwide by allowing them to predict which species and populations are at highest risk of chytridiomycosis-related declines, and to focus monitoring and conservation efforts accordingly. In a broader context, this research provides much needed information on the ecology of emerging infectious diseases, thus strengthening our ability to manage threats to public health.
Prior to becoming involved in amphibian conservation, I conducted research on endangered Hawaiian birds, helped release captive-bred peregrine falcons into the wild in California, examined the biophysical properties of amino acids involved in cystic fibrosis, and evaluated the effectiveness of the cathodic protection along the buried sections of the Trans-Alaska Pipeline, to ensure that there was no corrosion.
Teaching Experience
I have taught Applied Mathematics, Chemistry, Ecology, Vertebrate Biology, Spanish, SAT Preparation and Music.
My Frogs of Australia poster
This 24" x 36" poster features my all-time favorite frog photos. It's available in the Frog Store, and all proceeds go to SAVE THE FROGS!. As if that's not cool enough, you get a free bumper sticker with every poster:
Website Design
The internet provides an excellent framework for rapidly educating a large number of people. Check out my website design tips here, or contact me if you want me to build your web site.
Other interests
I enjoy playing bamboo flute and drums, climbing mountains, hitch-hiking, walking up rainforest streams in the middle of the night, sitting in the shade of a palm tree on a tropical beach, hanging out at waterfalls, traveling to faraway places, twirling glow pois and taking pictures, among other things. Please check out my music website and my personal website.
Future plans
I plan to continue to build SAVE THE FROGS! into the world's leading amphibian conservation organization, and to pursue a postdoctorate research position. If you know of an interesting postdoc position being offered in any area of conservation biology or ecology, please send me an email: kerry@savethefrogs.com.
Awards
2007
Scott Piper Best Student Publication Award
Centre for Innovative Conservation Strategies Conference Travel Grant
2006
Queensland ‘Growing the Smart State PhD Funding Program' Grant
Best Oral Presentation on an Ecological Management and Restoration Topic at the Joint Conference of the New Zealand Ecological Society and Ecological Society of Australia
Herpetologists’ League Robert G. Jaeger Award for Graduate Research – Finalist
Australian Society of Herpetologists Conference Travel Grant
2005
Peter Rankin Trust Fund for Herpetology Research Grant
Gold Coast Association of Postgraduates Conference Travel Grant
Ecological Society of Australia Student Research Grant
Gold Coast Association of Postgraduates Conference Travel Grant
2004
Eppley Foundation for Research Fellowship
National Geographic Society -- Committee for Research and Exploration Grant
Gold Coast Association of Postgraduates Scholarship
Gold Coast Association of Postgraduates Conference Travel Grant
Australian Society of Herpetologists Student Research Grant
2001
Northern Virginia Community College Presidential Scholar Award
Publications
Kriger, K. M. (in press) Lack of evidence for the drought-linked chytridiomycosis hypothesis. Journal of Wildlife Diseases
Kriger, K.M. and Hero, J.-M. (2008) Altitudinal distribution of chytrid (Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis) infection in subtropical Australian frogs. Austral Ecology 33(8):1022-1032
Kriger, K.M. and Hero, J.-M. (in press) Chytridiomycosis, amphibian extinctions, and lessons for the prevention of future panzootics. EcoHealth
Hero, J.-M. and Kriger, K.M. (2008) Threats to amphibians in tropical regions. Encyclopedia of Life Support Services (EOLSS): Tropical Zoology. Developed under the auspices of the UNESCO, Eolss Publishers, Oxford, UK.
Van Sluys, M., Kriger, K.M., Phillott, A.D., Campbell, R., Skerratt, L.F. and Hero, J.-M. (2008) Storage of samples at high temperatures reduces the amount of amphibian chytrid fungus (Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis) DNA detectable by PCR assay. Diseases of Aquatic Organisms 81:93-97
Kriger, K.M., Pereoglou, F. and Hero, J.-M. (2007) Latitudinal variation in the prevalence and intensity of chytrid (Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis) infection in Eastern Australia. Conservation Biology 21(5):1280-1290 (Winner of the Scott Piper Best Student Publication Award)
Kriger, K.M. and Hero, J.-M. (2007) Large-scale seasonal variation in the prevalence and severity of chytridiomycosis. Journal of Zoology 271:352-359
Kriger, K.M. and Hero, J.-M. (2007) The chytrid fungus Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis is non-randomly distributed across amphibian breeding habitats. Diversity and Distributions 13:781-788
Kriger, K.M., Ashton, K.J., Hines, H.B. and Hero, J.-M. (2007) On the biological relevance of a single Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis zoospore: a reply to Smith (2007). Diseases of Aquatic Organisms 73:257-260
Hyatt, A.D., Boyle, D.G., Olsen, V., Boyle, D.B., Berger, L., Obendorf, D., Dalton, A., Campbell, R., Kriger, K.M., Hero, J.-M., Hines, H., Phillott, R., Campbell, R., Gleason, F., Colling, A. (2007) Diagnostic assays and sampling protocols for the detection of Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis. Diseases of Aquatic Organisms 73:175-192 ‘Feature Article’
Kriger, K.M. (2007) The ecology of chytridiomycosis in eastern Australia. Ph.D. Thesis. Griffith University. 200 pages.
Kriger, K.M., Hines, H.B., Hyatt, A.D., Boyle, D.G. and Hero, J.-M. (2006) Techniques for detecting chytridiomycosis in wild frogs: comparing histology with real-time Taqman PCR. Diseases of Aquatic Organisms 71:141-148
Kriger, K.M., Hero, J.-M. and Ashton, K.J. (2006) Cost efficiency in the detection of chytridiomycosis using PCR assay. Diseases of Aquatic Organisms 71:149-154
Kriger, K.M. and Hero, J.-M. (2006) Survivorship in wild frogs infected with chytridiomycosis. EcoHealth 3:171-177
Kriger, K.M. and Hero, J.-M. (2006) Cophixalus ornatus (Ornate Nursery Frog). Chytridiomycosis. Herpetological Review 37(4):443
Braiman, M.S., Briercheck, D.M. and Kriger, K.M. (1999) Modeling vibrational spectra of amino acid side chains in proteins: effects of protonation state, counterion, and solvent on arginine C-N stretch frequencies. Journal of Physical Chemistry B. 103(22):4744-4750
Click here to see my resume.
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Kerry Kriger
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Kerry Kriger