Scientists quickly realized that this was a new, previously unreported species of fungi attacking the frogs. But the researchers did know that it was a non-hyphal aquatic species and therefore belong the the fungal Phylum Chytridiomycetes.
Specimens were loaded up into a DNA sequencer to allow identification. The machine revealed that the fungi belong to no recognized genus, so a new one was created – Batrachochytrium. Fitting into this genera, the species was eventually dubbed Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis (or BD for short) – the causative organism of Amphibian Chytridiomycosis.
Researchers now set out to study the ecology of BD, how it infects frogs and how it is spread throughout the environment. Now the culprit had been identified, the task now was to study the fungi in order to treat and prevent further loss to amphibians.
Amphibian Chytridiomycosis 