Vernal pools are ephemeral areas of ponding that support critical breeding habitat for both common and imperiled amphibian species.  Vernal pools are specialty wetland types as they typically dry up in late summer and therefore are free of predatory fish populations.  Biologists at DuBois and Associates conduct amphibian calling surveys, egg mass surveys, and larval sampling surveys to document obligate vernal pool amphibians (amphibians that only breed in vernal pools).  Determining whether or not a pool harbors obligate vernal pool species is critical in the development planning stage as activities in vernal habitats (pool(s) and landward 300-meter buffer) may be regulated under certain state regulations.