European frogs also facing
dramatic population crashes


Common frog populations across the United Kingdom are suffering dramatic population crashes due to infection from the emerging disease, Ranavirus. Costa Rican amphibians also have suffered mysterious declines.

Research published in The Zoological Society of London's journal Animal Conservation uses data collected from the public by the Frog Mortality Project and Froglife. Scientists from the society found that, on average, infected frog populations experienced an 81 per cent decline in adult frogs over a 12 year period.

“Our findings show that Ranavirus not only causes mass-mortality events but is also responsible for long-term population declines. We need to understand more about this virus if we are to minimize the serious threat that it poses to our native amphibians,” said Amber Teacher, lead author from society.

Despite a number of populations suffering from infection year after year, other populations bounced back from mass-mortality events. This suggests that some frogs may have some form of immunity to ranaviral infection.

“The discovery of persistent populations in the face of disease emergence is very encouraging and offers hope for the long-term future of this species” says Lucy Benyon of Froglife. “However, we still need regular information from the public on what is happening in their ponds to continue this essential research.”

In the 80s and 90s, the disease was particularly associated with the southeast of England. In recent years new pockets of diseases have turned up in Lancashire, Yorkshire and along the south coast.

“It is very difficult to treat wildlife diseases and so the mystery that we desperately need to solve is how the disease spreads. Understanding more about the ecology of the disease will allow us to offer advice to the public on how to limit the spread of infection, which could also prevent the movement of other frog diseases in the future,” says co-author Trent Garner from the society.


Tamarindo group sets date
to discuss improving water


Tamarindo residents plan to meet later this month to discuss ways in which the water in the community's bay can be improved. The goal is to recapture a blue flag that is awarded to environmentally savvy locations.

Tamarindo Recycles, the local organization that it trying to keep the town clean, said that a blue flag will help the Pacific beach community attract more tourists.

The town still is reeling as a result of the public relations nightmare three years ago with a government study found coliform bacteria in amounts from 3.3 to 329 times the permitted quantity for swimming.  The study was done by the Instituto Costarricense de Acueductos y Alcantarillados, the water company.  That news went around the world.

The meeting will be Oct. 27 in the Hotel Tamarindo Diria, said an e-mail announcement.


Friday night witnesses
a quake double header


That shaking Friday night was not the result of the wine. A 5.9 magnitude earthquake at 7:54 p.m. was followed at 9:30 by a magnitude 5 quake some 15 kilometers (about 9 miles) south of Laurel in the southern zone. The first quake was reported that night by A.M. Costa Rica.

The second quake does not appear to have been felt strongly in the Central Valley, although there were reports of it all over the country.

The 7:54 p.m. quake was centered near Zarcero but still attributed to the Coco tectonic plate.


Election tribunal plans
to recycle tons of ballots


The Tribunal Supremo de Elecciones has 105 tons of materials from the 2010 national elections that it will begin to recycle today.

Some 90 tons are ballots for president, legislators and local municipal council members. The tribunal said there were 9 million ballots to be discarded.

Workers will need two weeks to prepare the waste material and deliver it to Kimberly Clark. The Tribunal will get 6.5 million colons in exchange. That is nearly $13,000.

Find out what the papers said today in Spanish By the A.M. Costa Rica staff Here is the section where you can scan short summaries from the Spanish-language press. If you want to know more, just click on a link and you will see and longer summary and have the opportunity to read the entire news story on the page of the Spanish-language newspaper but translated into English. Translations may be a bit rough, but software is improving every day. When you see the Summary in English of news stories not covered today by A.M. Costa Rica, you will have a chance to comment. This is a new service of A.M. Costa Rica called Costa Rica Report. Editor is Daniel Woodall, and you can contact him HERE!

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hoping that there was not more water on its way. Some took off their shoes. Others carried children and seniors.

The proposed bridge will connect the upper part of the community with the rest of the world.