IUCN SSC Amphibian Specialist Group

What IUCN SSC Amphibian Specialist Group does

The IUCN SSC Amphibian Specialist Group (ASG) is the global volunteer expert network of the International Union for Conservation of Nature's Species Survival Commission dedicated to amphibian conservation. It is organized as a nonprofit scientific advisory body with a small Secretariat (~15 staff and officers) coordinating more than 300 volunteer members across 40+ regional and thematic working groups and task forces. ASG's primary deliverables are scientific assessments and publications rather than commercial products: the Global Amphibian Assessment (GAA) cycles managed through its Amphibian Red List Authority (ARLA), the living Amphibian Conservation Action Plan (ACAP) first published in 2007 and most recently updated in July 2024, the FrogLog digital magazine (128+ issues since 1992), the Threatened Amphibian Landscapes dataset identifying 50 priority landscapes covering 71% of threatened amphibians, and the Highly Threatened Genera dataset. Supporting programs include the ASG Webinar Series (launched May 2024), the ASG/ASA Youth Program, the ASG Mentorship Program, and the Halliday-Bishop Conservation Library.

ASG's technical core is its assessment infrastructure: a multi-cycle peer-review pipeline for IUCN Red List assessments (GAA1 completed in 2004 with 5,743 species, GAA2 in 2022 with 8,011 assessments, GAA3 running 2024–2028) coordinated through regional coordinators and partner institutions, with regional coordinators across the Americas, Africa, Europe, and Asia. Distribution is digital-first through iucn-amphibians.org, FrogLog, webinars, Twitter/X, and downloads; the Global Amphibian Bioblitz functions as a citizen-science channel.

ASG has no commercial revenue model. Funding flows from donations, grants, and in-kind support (notably from Synchronicity Earth), with Re:wild serving as fiscal sponsor for grant management and financial operations. The organization's "customers" are not payers in a commercial sense but beneficiaries: conservation organizations and NGOs, scientific researchers and academics, government agencies and policymakers, and local communities engaged in amphibian conservation. ASG acts as scientific advisor to the Amphibian Survival Alliance (ASA), which coordinates implementation among more than 100 partner organizations, alongside Amphibian Ark (AArk) as a strategic ally focused on captive breeding of amphibians that cannot survive in the wild.

Name

IUCN SSC Amphibian Specialist Group

Legal name

IUCN SSC Amphibian Specialist Group

Website

https://iucn-amphibians.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2009

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

The IUCN SSC Amphibian Specialist Group (ASG) is IUCN's global volunteer network of more than 300 amphibian conservation experts across 40+ regions, coordinating Red List assessments, the Amphibian Conservation Action Plan, and FrogLog, and serving conservation NGOs, researchers, and policymakers worldwide.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Wildlife Conservation Services

NAICS

Environment, Conservation and Wildlife Organizations (813312), Administration of Conservation Programs (92412)

SIC

Services-Membership Organizations (8600)

akta.pro primary industry

Wildlife Conservation & Species Protection (BPAGAGAB)

akta.pro secondary industry

Nature, Biodiversity & Ecosystem Conservation (BPADALAE)

Keywords

• Amphibian conservation
• Species red list assessment
• Wildlife conservation network
• Habitat protection research
• Threatened species monitoring

Headquarters

HQ city

Not specified

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Donations and Grants: ASG receives generous donations and in-kind support from partner organizations. The organization acknowledges donations and/or in-kind support from Synchronicity Earth and other organizations.
2. Fiscal Hosting: Re:wild serves as the fiscal sponsor hosting the finances of ASG, enabling grant management and financial operations.

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

The IUCN SSC Amphibian Specialist Group is the International Union for Conservation of Nature's global volunteer network of dedicated experts who donate their time and expertise to provide the scientific foundation to inform effective amphibian conservation action around the world. The organization coordinates periodic Global Amphibian Assessments (currently GAA3, 2024-2028) for the IUCN Red List, develops the Amphibian Conservation Action Plan (ACAP), and maintains a network of 300+ expert members across 40+ regions and 43 regional working groups.

Product overview

The IUCN SSC Amphibian Specialist Group (ASG) is a global volunteer conservation network and scientific advisory body, not a conventional technology product company. Its offerings consist of conservation programs, publications, assessment tools, and capacity-building initiatives. Core products include the Global Amphibian Assessment (GAA) program, which periodically assesses amphibian extinction risk through coordinated regional partnerships; the Amphibian Conservation Action Plan (ACAP), a strategic framework updated in 2024 serving as a global roadmap for amphibian conservation; FrogLog, a digital magazine serving as the primary news and knowledge-sharing platform for the amphibian conservation community; and the ASG Webinar Series, an educational program launched in 2024 connecting global experts. Supporting tools include the Threatened Amphibian Landscapes (TALs) dataset identifying the 50 most critical geographic areas for amphibian conservation, and the Highly Threatened Genera dataset prioritizing taxonomic groups. The ASG also operates capacity-building programs including the ASG/ASA Youth Program and ASG Mentorship Program, and maintains the Halliday-Bishop Conservation Library as a reference archive.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Amphibian Red List Authority (ARLA): The branch of ASG responsible for managing all amphibian data on the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species, undertaking Global Amphibian Assessment initiatives.
• Amphibian Conservation Action Plan (ACAP)
• FrogLog

Products and services

• FrogLog FrogLog is the amphibian conservation community's digital news magazine, providing a platform for sharing amphibian conservation research, implementation stories, and news from around the world. Originally launched in 1992 as the DAPTF newsletter, it is now a digital magazine published twice yearly with 128+ archived issues.
• ASG Webinar Series The ASG Webinar Series brings together experts, researchers, and enthusiasts from around the world to discuss amphibian conservation topics, covering recent research findings, conservation efforts, and outreach initiatives. Past webinars are available on YouTube.
• Amphibian Conservation Action Plan (ACAP) The Amphibian Conservation Action Plan is the first taxonomic class-level conservation plan of its kind, serving as a roadmap for amphibian conservation at the global level. It is used by ASG, the Amphibian Survival Alliance, Amphibian Ark, and other conservation organizations.
• Global Amphibian Assessment (GAA) The Global Amphibian Assessment is a comprehensive periodic assessment of all known amphibian species for the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. Currently in its third cycle (GAA3, 2024-2028), it coordinates a network of regional partners to assess amphibian extinction risk and track conservation status trends across global amphibian biodiversity.
• State of the World's Amphibians Report The State of the World's Amphibians report is a comprehensive synthesis of the global status of amphibians based on the second Global Amphibian Assessment data. It details the threats amphibians face and identifies opportunities for coalitions of governments, organizations, and individuals to conserve amphibians and their habitats at scale.
• Threatened Amphibian Landscapes (TALs) Threatened Amphibian Landscapes are 50 identified geographic areas that together contain 71% of all threatened amphibians. Developed from GAA2 data, TALs serve as a tool to guide conservation planning by identifying critically important geographic areas where amphibian conservation efforts should be concentrated.
• Highly Threatened Genera Highly Threatened Genera is a dataset identifying the top most threatened frog and salamander genera from GAA2 data, showing that species within the same genus often face similar threats. The tool highlights genera where concentrated conservation action can have the greatest impact.
• ASG/ASA Youth Program A shared program between ASG and the Amphibian Survival Alliance designed to promote awareness and interest among future generations of amphibian conservationists.
• ASG Mentorship Program A standalone ASG program intended to promote capacity building in amphibian research and conservation, connecting experienced professionals with emerging conservationists.
• The Halliday-Bishop Conservation Library A compilation of monthly reference lists relating to amphibian conservation, originally maintained by Professor Tim Halliday and later by Professor Phil Bishop. Now continued in partnership with AmphibiaWeb and the Amphibian Survival Alliance.
• Amphibian Red List Authority (ARLA) The branch of ASG responsible for managing all amphibian data on the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species, working through repeated Global Amphibian Assessment cycles coordinated by a small ARLA team that collaborates with a network of regional coordinators and partner institutions.

Quantifiable outcome

• 41% of amphibian species assessed as threatened in GAA2
• +2 more outcomes

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Eight partnerships are on record, tiered core and major.

• Amphibian Survival Alliance (ASA)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2018ASA is ASG's primary strategic ally sharing the vision of 'Amphibians Thriving in Nature'. ASG acts as the scientific advisor to ASA, which is a global partnership of over 100 organizations coordinating and supporting implementation of amphibian conservation action.
• Amphibian Ark (AArk)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2018AArk is one of ASG's two strategic allies sharing the vision of 'Amphibians Thriving in Nature'. AArk focuses on captive breeding of amphibians that cannot currently survive in the wild.
• Synchronicity EarthmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerSynchronicity Earth is one of the global partners supporting the ARLA team in managing amphibian data on the IUCN Red List and coordinating the Global Amphibian Assessment.
• New Mexico BioparkmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerNew Mexico Biopark is one of the global partners supporting the ARLA team in managing amphibian data on the IUCN Red List.
• Durrell Wildlife Conservation TrustmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerDr. Izabela Barata works at Durrell coordinating the global programme Saving Amphibians from Extinction (S.A.F.E) and leads the Amphibian Programme in Brazil.
• Instituto BiotrópicosmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerDr. Izabela Barata leads the Amphibian Programme in Brazil at Instituto Biotrópicos.
• NatureServemajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerNatureServe provided assistance for the Americas, especially North America and Mesoamerica, during the first Global Amphibian Assessment.
• Conservation InternationalmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCoordinated the first Global Amphibian Assessment through the IUCN SSC – CI/CABS Biodiversity Assessment Unit.

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves8 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• IUCN Species Survival Commission: SSC is ASG's parent commission within IUCN, coordinating global species assessments. Comparable in mission but operates at a broader scope, overseeing dozens of Specialist Groups across all taxonomic groups.

Others

• Re:wild: Re:wild serves as ASG's fiscal sponsor and a Species Partnerships collaborator. As a global species conservation organization, it provides both financial hosting and parallel conservation program infrastructure for ASG's Red List work.
• Durrell Wildlife Conservation Trust: Durrell coordinates the Saving Amphibians from Extinction (SAFE) program where ASG Deputy Chair Dr. Izabela Barata works. A specialized conservation organization with overlapping amphibian recovery priorities.
• Conservation International: Conservation International co-coordinated the first Global Amphibian Assessment with IUCN SSC/CABS. A broader conservation incumbent that partners with ASG on amphibian science but operates across all biodiversity.
• NatureServe: NatureServe assisted ASG during GAA1, particularly for the Americas. Operates a parallel network producing biodiversity data and Red List-equivalent assessments, comparable data infrastructure for North American species.
• Synchronicity Earth: Synchronicity Earth is a core funder of ASG and partner on the Global Amphibian Assessment. Funds under-prioritized species conservation globally, including amphibian programs that benefit ASG's network.

Direct peers

• EDGE of Existence Programme (Zoological Society of London): EDGE focuses on Evolutionarily Distinct and Globally Endangered species, with a strong amphibian component and fellowship programs. Operates a similar science-based, volunteer-coordinated conservation model for threatened species.
• BirdLife International: BirdLife International operates as the IUCN Species Survival Commission specialist network for birds, using an analogous Red List assessment model and global partnership structure. Highly comparable organizational design to ASG.
• Amphibian Survival Alliance: ASA is ASG's closest strategic ally, sharing the 'Amphibians Thriving in Nature' vision. It coordinates implementation of amphibian conservation globally through a partnership of 100+ organizations, with ASG acting as scientific advisor.
• Amphibian Ark: AArk is ASG's other core strategic ally, focused on captive breeding of amphibian species that cannot survive in the wild. The three organizations (ASG, ASA, AArk) form a coordinated amphibian conservation triangle.

Market position

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/ASG_IUCN
• YouTubeyoutube.com/@ASGWebinars2024
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/iucn-ssc-amphibian-specialist-group

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles15 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about IUCN SSC Amphibian Specialist Group