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Underwater Photography: Life in Vernal Pools

Spotted salamander
The smiling visage of a spotted salamander. Photos by Steven David Johnson.

Vernal pools, ephemeral wetlands that come to life in early spring with wood frogs, spring peepers, fairy shrimp, and a variety of salamanders, are celebrated by ecologists and woodland explorers of all stripes. While we await “Big Night” (the rainy night - really more than one - when wood frogs and salamanders migrate to pools en masse) in the northern woodlands, amphibian eggs are already hatching in the southern Appalachian region, and the profusion of wildlife dependent on these pools is on full display. The North American Nature Photography Association (NANPA), a professional organization that promotes the art and science of nature photography as a medium of communication, nature appreciation, and environmental protection, recently released a free e-book celebrating vernal pools in southern Appalachia, featuring the beautiful underwater photography of Steven David Johnson. The range of many of the amphibian and invertebrate species featured in the book overlap with species common in the Northeast.

The publication is a documentary of vernal pool life, with Johnson taking readers through the habits and life cycles of indicator species such as wood frogs, Jefferson, marbled, and spotted salamanders, fairy shrimp, and other amphibians and invertebrates that frequent these wetlands. The closing chapter is chock full of underwater photography tips, and the afterword touches on vernal pool threats and conservation, also providing resources for further exploration. The publication is an excellent guide for wherever vernal pools are found. For information on one of many vernal pool monitoring efforts in the Northeast, see our spring 2021 Forest and Wildlife Monitoring article on the Vermont Center for Ecostudies programs.

In the following photos, we celebrate the spotted salamander, Ambystoma maculatum, courtesy of photographer Steven David Johnson.  Learn more in the NANPA handbook Vernal Pools: Documenting Life in Temporary Ponds. Follow Johnson on Instagram to explore more of his underwater world, and see more on his website.

Spotted salamander
A gravid female spotted salamander deposits eggs beneath the surface of a vernal pool.
Spotted salamander
Wood frog tadpoles nibble at the edges of spotted salamander eggs.
Spotted salamander
Spotted salamander egg, embryo development, and hatching.

Discussion *

Apr 09, 2021

This is a great photo and article about the importance of vernal pools to “mole” salamanders and other species of wildlife.  The underwater photos are outstanding.  Thank you for the time and effort you put into the documentation.

John Bowe
Apr 01, 2021

A marvelous photo sequence!!
I’m eager to see the red eft and adult forms to come.

Chuck Sherman
Mar 26, 2021

Well written article on the amazing work of Steven Johnson, Conservation photographer and professor at EMU.

Linda Barany

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