A recently published NJSEA study on the Atlantic Coast Leopard Frog population in the Meadowlands shows that the important species is maintaining its presence across historic sites, and that there is evidence that the region is a stronghold for this otherwise declining species. 

Michael Turso, a Wildlife Biologist in the Meadowlands Research and Restoration Institute (MRRI), conducted the study with support from his colleagues. His findings were published in the May edition of the Urban Naturalist journal. The Atlantic Coast Leopard Frog is critical; it is the last remaining frog species with a substantial population occupying freshwater habitats in the Meadowlands. 

Turso’s research found that the Atlantic Coast Leopard Frog has maintained its presence in the Meadowlands over the past 11 years. In addition, the Acoustic Recording Units that identified the frogs led Turso and fellow MRRI staff to discover new habitat sites.

Click here to read the study.