Photography is known for evoking our emotions. For conservation purposes it can be utilised to its full potential, emphasising the importance of preserving threatened ecosystems. Photographer Frances Eyre talks of her time spent documenting the wilds of the Loholoka forest; a habitat unlike that of any other.

Islands are places that capture the imagination – secluded areas of land, surrounded by the sea, with creatures found nowhere else in the world. They are fantastical places that can feel otherworldly, far away and cut off from all that is normal with a sense of timelessness.

Madagascar is such an island. Located of the coast of southern eastern Africa, Madagascar is known for its bizarre flora and fauna. The island split from mainland Africa 135 million years ago, then 55 million years later it also split from the Indian block. This isolation resulted in its native inhabitants evolving unique and specialised adaptions in order to thrive; making many of Madagascar’s flora and fauna endemic to the island. The island is a biodiversity hotspot, with many of its ecosystems still not fully explored, it makes it a dream destination for explorers and scientists alike. Yet it is due to this isolation that much of it’s endemic species are under threat.

Frances Eyre is a freelance photographer from Somerset, whose passion for both the arts and science led her to creating photographic projects that incorporate scientific study, conservation, and media simultaneously. She attended Falmouth University where she studied Marine and Natural History Photography, here she was encouraged to explore and develop her ideas which eventually led her to embarking on an expedition to Madagascar in the summer of 2017. Frances states;

“Not long after returning from the Galapagos Islands, I felt inspired to continue with my field work – motivated by my previous experiences, my dissertation research and project ideas. This led me to try out something a little more out of my comfort zone, so I committed myself to a six-week camping expedition to Madagascar.”

Frances was one of a team of six, the other members of the team being zoology students from Exeter University. Her role as part of the team was to photograph and record their discoveries, as well as day-to-day life on camp. Their destination was the Loholoka forest, situated on the south-east coast of the island. The Loholoka forest is what is known as a littoral habitat, of which there are very few remaining. A littoral habitat is a stretch of humid forest that is located next to a constant source of water; it is this feature that makes this type of environment very rare, even in Madagascar.

“Today, there are still many ecosystems within this type of forest environment that have not been surveyed and have very little research gathered on their ecological structures and functions. This means that even in the 21st century there are still areas and habitats, like the Loholoka forest, that we know very little about. It is this threatened and remarkable habitat that our team travelled to in August 2017.”

The purpose of the expedition was to build upon data gathered back from a previous expedition in 2014, as well as test a selection of the amphibian population for Chytrid fungus. Alongside their preliminary goals, the team set aside time to identify any threats to the region’s biodiversity. They discussed their findings with the local communities to build a working relationship, enabling them to understand the challenges faced by those living within a threatened forest environment.

“They explained to us that due to government restrictions and new laws that had been imposed upon them without consultation their lives were being made even harder. We discussed ways to achieve sustainable solutions, reduction of deforestation and the overconsumption of natural resources. In many ways we were surprised as to how fundamentally aware many of the locals were for the need of conservation, but it seemed that without being given alternative options, they had no other choice but to keep living such an unsustainable lifestyle.

However, thanks to continued scientific research, we are obtaining new information which is starting to change the outlook for Madagascar’s forests. With many non-profit organisations trying to work with the Madagascan governments, they are aiming to improve the protection of the rainforests and their inhabitants. In doing so, in 2013 it was announced that 6 million hectors (triple its original range of protected areas) was now protected, with the sole aim of improving the longevity of the remaining forests.”

As previously mentioned, another aim of the expedition was to expand upon the data gathered from the 2014 expedition. The findings from the previous expedition offered a glimpse into the many species that call Loholoka home. They discovered that various mammals had expanded their geographically range, as well as a potentially new species and subspecies that were previously unrecorded. The biodiversity count documented 94 different species, among them 8 were classed as Vulnerable or Endangered by the IUCN. The 2017 team aimed to build upon these discoveries.

“We hoped that the information and findings we collected would be used to safeguard this locations biodiversity for future generations. By discovering and documenting new species and pre-existing species, especially on the IUCN protected list, we would be helping towards justifying the significance and importance of Madagascar’s rainforests and in turn the forests and their inhabitants would be placed under protection. We used various methods of data collection, which varied from live trapping (un-harmful) to manual gathering of information, using techniques such as detecting eye shine and physically spotting and capturing, with our own hands, reptiles and amphibians.”

The chytrid fungus surveys had not been carried out by the previous team. This was a new study – through sampling local amphibian populations to test whether the fungus was present. The chytrid fungus, of which there are around 1,000 different species, live in water or moist environments. Whilst the majority thrive on decaying organic matter, a few of these species are parasitic. In 1999, a new species was recorded - Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis. Also known as Bd, for short. This fungus has proved to be fatal for amphibians across the globe.

“The way in which Bd affects amphibians is by causing an infection inside the cells of the outer skin layers. It then causes a defect in the protein called “keratin”. Keratin is the material that toughens up your skin and helps you to be resistant against injuries, it’s also present in your hair and with animals, its present in their feathers and claws! But this fungus causes microscopic changes in the skin, effectively changing the keratin levels.

Although this change in keratin levels may not seem like an issue large enough to cause species extinction, in amphibians it is. Amphibians “drink” water and absorb important electrolytes though their skin, however, the change in keratin means the skin becomes too think to absorb water and electrolytes, which eventually results in an imbalance; causing their heart to stop beating. Once infected it becomes an enormous challenge to prevent Bd from spreading. Some amphibian populations have experienced devastating mass mortality events due to this fungus. Although there is some hope through continued research, it has been discovered that a few species such as the South African clawed frog, has managed to overcome this infection. Once infected the population rapidly develops a mild infection and then after approximately 40 days the infected population stabilises and recovers.”

Frances continues; “On all of transect walks the Herpetology team was on the lookout for reptiles and amphibians. Once found, the reptiles were placed in cotton bags and the frogs in plastic bags which contained water and foliage. There was no special technique for their capture, it just required us searching and then lunging to the ground in the hopes of catching one. We started our testing back at camp by carefully removing the frog from the bag and gripping it gently with our thumb and forefinger. This test was a two man job, so whilst one held the frog and prevented it from escaping the other colleague would take a pipette full of water and cover the frog, this was to prevent it from drying out and to insure that the sample taken was sufficient.

When we had thoroughly swabbed the frog, the sample was placed in a small vile containing a liquid called PBS, this liquid enabled the sample to be stored, and the DNA would stay intact until we returned to the UK. When the swab had been in the solution for a minute, 2 drops of the sample were placed into a small pallet which would indicate whether or not chytrid was present. The rest of the sample was then labelled, sealed and stored for returning to the UK, for conformation of our findings. For the 50 frogs we tested, they all came up negative for chytrid which was a relief.”

Frances photography capture the beauty and the uniqueness of the Loholoka forest; as well as recording the scientific studies being conducted to preserve such a biodiverse habitat. Her photography showcases the importance of non-invasive fieldwork for conservation. They transport you to a world of exploration and discovery, to a location full of oddities; where lemurs swing from the treetops and frogs sing croaking harmonies, filling the rainforest with song. The findings from 2017 surveys offer a glimmer of hope to the Loholoka forest, and it is these studies that will enable such places to continue to thrive for future generations to admire.

To discover more of Frances’ work, click here.

To discover more of Rosie’s work, click here.

Into the Forests of Madagascar