Do you want salt with that? Believe it or not, combining salt with frogs is a recipe for success and is being used at Sydney Olympic Park to help save the endangered Green and Golden Bell Frog.
The bell frog is threatened by a disease caused by the introduced chytrid fungus which is most active in the cooler months. Addressing this disease is one of the critical battles in the fight to save this species and salt could be an important ingredient.
Seasoned to survive
A pinch of prevention is happening at Sydney Olympic Park with salt being added to selected ponds to assist frogs to survive the winter. Water chemistry is closely monitored to ensure that salinity is maintained at a safe but effective level between 2-3ppt.
These ponds-a-la-salt are scattered between breeding ponds in the hope that as frogs move through the landscape, they will visit and soak in a salted pond. Higher salinity can protect bell frogs from the fungus by reducing the disease transmission rate.
Just add salt
From pantry to pond, salt is playing a role in ensuring that the habitat at Sydney Olympic Park is supporting the bell frog. As we head into the cooler months, staff are preparing ponds to make the best impact that we can on the bell frog’s survival. Pass the salt please!
Bell frogs visit ponds regularly through winter to hydrate. 
Regular monitoring by ecologists tells us how the population is responding to habitat management © Jake Urlus
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