Mariam Curbelo Cruz
- Project name: Update of Yumurí frog population status and habitat health using an acoustic and social approach
- Project site: Baracoa, Guantanamo, Cuba
- EDGE species: Barton’s robber frog, Eleutherodactylus bartonsmithi
- Active: 2024 - ongoing
Biography
Mariam is a full-time Professor in the Faculty of Biology at the University of Havana, Cuba.
Mariam is looking forward to building connections that can lead to future collaborations and opportunities that will eventually impact the protection of Cuban amphibian biodiversity. She expects that the abilities she will learn while conducting this project can be passed to her thesis and undergrad and graduate students in the Faculty of Biology.
EDGE Project
Mariam’s project aims to establish acoustic monitoring of E. bartonsmithi to generate crucial conservation data while fostering public awareness for lasting impact.
Her objectives are to:
- Update the species distribution using acoustic surveying.
- Develop a model for automated detection of the species.
- Identify and analyse the environmental predictors influencing frog relative abundance in the target area by integrating acoustic monitoring, satellite imagery, and habitat assessments.
- Raise awareness about the importance of Yumurí as a critical conservation site for EDGE frogs.
- Support conservation efforts for amphibians in Cuba by establishing a network of young herpetologists specifically focusing on EDGE species.
