Mr Kyle Smith
(he/him)

BSc, MSc

Research student

School of Biosciences

I'm a PhD researcher working to support the conservation of Pickersgill’s Reed Frog, an endangered frog species found exclusively within the KwaZulu-Natal Province of South Africa, by combining principles in community and molecular ecology. I have an academic background in Zoology and Ecology, and a professional background that includes experience in conservation communications with WWF-UK. I love all things wildlife and I am keen to use my interest in photography to communicate our research in novel and engaging ways to a wider public audience.

Thesis

Molecular and Network Ecology to Inform the Translocation of an Endangered Anuran

Amphibians have roamed the earth for around 350 million years, occupying underground, aquatic, and terrestrial environments and capturing the public's imagination across countless forms of media. Amphibians are also, sadly, the most threatened of all vertebrate classes; the IUCN's Red List of Threatened Species has found that over 40% of amphibians are at risk of extinction. Amphibians face numerous threats, ranging from the loss and degradation of their habitats to the spread of diseases such as chytridiomycosis, and species are being lost at an alarming rate around the world.

Our research combines principles in molecular and community ecology to support the conservation of Pickersgill’s Reed Frog (Hyperolius pickersgilli), an endangered anuran endemic to the coastal wetlands of the KwaZulu-Natal Province of South Africa. H. pickersgilli faces increasing threats from urban expansion, habitat degradation, and population fragmentation, and in 2017 the South African government implemented a dedicated Biodiversity Management Plan to improve the species' conservation status. An ex-situ breeding programme has been established at Johannesburg Zoo with a view to reintroducing individuals to suitable sites in the future, alongside translocations between wild populations. Before this can take place, we need to establish a better understanding of the species' genetic population structure across its range and the factors that influence site occupancy.

To do this, we will be utilising a variety of molecular techniques, including analysing single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) to measure population structure, genetic diversity, effective population sizes, and gene flow between existing populations. At each survey site, we will use eDNA metabarcoding to assess community structure and measure several metrics of water quality, modelling these factors against H. pickersgilli occupancy. By combining these data our ultimate objective is to make evidence-based recommendations for future H. pickersgilli translocation programmes and wider conservation interventions for the species.

Funding sources

I'm funded via NERC's GW4+ DTP.

In my most recent professional role I was employed as a Content Research Executive at WWF-UK, working with partners across WWF's global network to tell engaging and visually compelling stories that encourage more support for an array of conservation issues.

Prior to this, I was employed as Inclusivity & Sustainability Co-ordinator at Reading University Students' Union (RUSU), promoting student democracy, championing sustainability, and supporting a team of Part-time Officers with their campaigns to highlight under-represented groups and issues. Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion is important to me, and I am motivated to work towards making higher education a more accessible and inclusive space.

I have an academic background that covers a range of topics in Zoology and Ecology, with a BSc in Zoology from the University of Reading and an MSc in Ecological Applications from Imperial College London.

In my spare time I am a keen photographer with a particular focus on wildlife and nature photography.