BIODIVERSITY
Many of the plant and animal species on the Galapagos are not found anywhere else on earth, including 80% of the land birds, 97% of the reptiles and land mammals, and more than 30% of the plants are endemic. With such a rich biodiversity, many species have yet to be discovered in the Galapagos. However, many species are also being threatened with extinction due to human activities or natural hazards, putting this special biodiversity at risk.
Our projects include topics in: Endemism, Evolution, Biobanking, Micro and Molecular Biology, Invasive Species.
Let’s meet the impactful projects and their researchers:
RESEARCH PROJECTS
Distribution, demography and habitat use of the green turtle (Chelonia mydas) and hawksbill turtle (Eretmochelys imbricata) in the feeding, breeding and roosting areas of the Galapagos.
Researchers: Daniela Alarcón, Juan Pablo Muñoz
Year: 2024
Abundance, distribution and vital range of cetaceans in Galapagos
Researchers: Daniela Alarcón, Diana Pazmiño, Hector Guzmán, Juan Pablo Muñoz, Ari Friedlaende, Javier Oña, Martín Narvaez, Judith Denkinger, Robert Pitman, Juan José Álava
Year: 2024
Study of the floral origin, quality parameters, chemical composition and antimicrobial activity of honey wasp (Brachygastra lecheguana) from the Galapagos Islands
Researcher: José Miguel Álvarez
Year: 2024
Digital Archaeology and Virtual Reality at the Muro de las Lágrimas site (1940-1959)
Researchers: Fernando J. Astudillo, Paul Rosero
Year: 2024
Contextualisation of recent global warming trends and extreme El Niño events during the late Holocene in the Galapagos fossil coral records
Researcher: Alyssa Atwood
Year: 2024
Germination and establishment of (Tribulus cistoides) Zygophyllaceae in the Galapagos Islands
Researchers: Angélica Bonaccorso, Sofía Carvajal Endar, Nicole Alejandra Chico-Ortiz
Year: 2024
Taxonomy of marine algae in the Galapagos Islands
Researcher: Margarita Brandt
Year: 2024
Detection of oceanographic events in the Galapagos Marine Reserve, using (Stegastes arcifrons) and (Stegastes beebei), and other herbivore species, as indicator species
Researchers: Margarita Brandt, Juan Manuel Álava, Michael Kingsford
Year: 2024
Status and growth of hermatypic corals at Punta Pitt, San Cristóbal and other sites in the Galapagos Marine Reserve
Researchers: Margarita Brandt, Nicolás Dávalos, John Bruno, Paúl Rosero, Anna Shvets, César Zambrano, Cheryl Logan, Nikki Traylor- Knowles, Michael Connelly, Santiago Rosero
Year: 2024
Epigenetics and its role in the evolution and adaptation of the marine and land iguana of the Galapagos Islands
Researcher: Sonia Carvajal
Year: 2024
Effect of urbanization on the evolutionary radiation of finches and the plants they use
Researcher: Jaime Chaves
Year: 2024
Exploring evolution in the Galapagos through genomics
Researcher: Jaime Chaves
Year: 2024
Geckos of the Galapagos Islands
Researchers: Diego Cisneros
Year: 2024
Land birds of the Galapagos, genetics, natural history, distribution and population status
Researchers: Diego Cisneros
Year: 2024
Taxonomic and genetic diversity of Arachnids arachnida Coleoptera Coleoptera Solifugae Solifugae and Onychophorans Onychophora
Researchers: Diego Cisneros
Year: 2024
Land birds of San Cristóbal Island, Galapagos: Natural history, distribution and population state
Researchers: Diego Cisneros, Carmen Emilia Peñaherrera Romero, Juan José Guadalupe López, María de Lourdes Torres Proaño, Carolina Pilar Reyes Puig, Miguel Mateo Dávila Játiva
Year: 2024
Snakes and geckos of San Cristóbal and Isabela Islands, Galapagos
Researchers: Diego Cisneros, Carmen Emilia Peñaherrera Romero, Juan José Guadalupe López, María de Lourdes Torres Proaño, Carolina Pilar Reyes Puig, Miguel Mateo Dávila Játiva
Year: 2024
Diversity and habitat of the freshwater ecosystems of the Galapagos Islands.
Researchers: Andrea Encalada, Juan Manual Guayasamin, Jaime Cahves, Valeria Ochoa-Herrera, Gonzalo Rivas, Adolfo Cordero, Anaís Rivas, Olaya Lorenza, Andrea Tapia, Claudia Serrano
Year: 2024
Population genetics, diversification, hybridization and ecology of marine and land iguanas of the Galapagos islands as a mechanism to facilitate their conservation
Researcher: Juan Manuel Guayasamín
Year: 2024
Habitat use and monitoring of migratory movements of the oceanic manta ray (Mobula birostris) population in the Galapagos Islands
Researcher: Michel Guerrero
Year: 2024
Base line and trends of neglected species and habitats a quarter century after the creation of the Galapagos Marine Reserve
Researcher: Alex Hearn
Year: 2024
Hermandad Marine Reserve Baseline
Researcher: Alex Hearn
Year: 2024
The role of oceanic islets for the protection of migratory marine species
Researcher: Alex Hearn
Year: 2024
Distribution, demography, population size and population connectivity of two species of the family Heterodontidae (Heterondontus quoyi) and (Heterodontus mexicanus) in the Galapagos Islands
Researchers: Maximilian Hirschfeld, Cynthia Awruch, Sean Canfield, Jaime Chaves, Diana Pazmiño, Jenifer Suarez, Juan García, Alex Hearn
Year: 2024
Grass Genomes X Environments: A hypothesis/discovery-based approach connecting genome with the phenome of plant habit and behavior in natural settings
Researchers: Corbin Jones, Alan Jones
Year: 2024
Contribution of herbivorous fish to rocky reef assemblages in different upwelling conditions
Researchers: Mike Kingsford, Juan Manuel Álava, Margarita Brandt, Robert Lamb
Year: 2024
Agroecological transition monitoring program for Galapagos soils
Researchers: Francisco Laso, Gabriela Bautista, Valeria Ochoa-Herrera, Antonio León, Miguel Mateo Dávila Játiva, Diego Cisneros, Senay Yitbarek
Year: 2024
Isolation and molecular characterization of pathogenic fungi for biological control of the invasive blackberry (Rubus niveus) of the Galapagos Islands
Researchers: Antonio León Reyes, Noelia Barriga, Darío Ramírez, Corbin Jones, Beth Shank, Alexi Ann Van Ess, Sarya May Yannarell, Gabrielle Marie Grandchamp, Diego Riveros
Year: 2024
Study of the microbiome present in the Galapagos Islands
Researchers: Antonio León Reyes, Noelia Barriga, Darío Ramírez, Corbin Jones, Beth Shank, Alexi Ann Van Ess, Sarya May Yannarell, Gabrielle Marie Grandchamp, Diego Riveros
Year: 2024
Wildlife health and disease monitoring of marine invertebrates, fish, reptiles, birds and marine mammals of the Galapagos
Researchers: Gregory Lewbart, Kenneth J. Lohmann, Maximilian Hirschfeld, Juan Pablo Muñoz
Year: 2024
Assessment of the health status of the giant tortoises of the Cerro Colorado Galapaguera, prior to the release and repatriation processes
Researchers: Gregory Lewbart, Juan Pablo Muñoz, Diego Páez Rosas
Year: 2024
Understanding the population structure of Yellow Fin Tuna in the eastern Pacific
Researcher: Laia Muñoz
Year: 2024
Understanding the biology of fish species of commercial interest in the Galapagos Marine Reserve, their reproductive aspects, spawning areas, geochemical aspects and heavy metal contamination within the food chain
Researchers: Laia Muñoz, Carlos A. Valle, Steven Emslie, Jaime Ocampo, Diego Quiroga, Francisco Rubianes, Peter Grewe, María de Lourdes Torres
Year: 2024
Agri(cultures) of Disease and Climate Adaptation in the Galapagos
Researchers: Caela O’Connell
Year: 2024
The Galapagos pinnipeds sentinels of global warming in the archipelago
Researcher: Diego Páez Rosas
Year: 2024
Retrospective study of the feeding ecology of large pelagic fish present in the Galapagos Marine Reserve
Researchers: Diego Páez Rosas, Felipe Galván-Magaña, Raúl Martínez-Rincón, Miguel Vences, Pelayo Salinas, José Marín, Xchel Moreno Sánchez, Jorge Ramírez
Year: 2024
Evaluation of the population status and reproductive success of the pinnipeds of the Galapagos Islands in colonies with different levels of anthropogenic impact
Researchers: Diego Páez Rosas, Gregory Lewbart, Jorge Hernández, Larissa Oliviera, Oliver Kruger, Jochen Wolf, Daniel Costa, Fernando Elorraiga
Year: 2024
Sampling and categorization of endemic and introduced forest species for sustainable use in architecture in the Galapagos Islands
Researcher: María Isabel Paz
Year: 2024
Rays as model organisms to understand movement patterns and habitat use
Researchers: Diana Pazmiño, Alex Hearn, Lynne van Herwerden, Floriaan Devloo-Delva, Lauren Goodman, Natalia Andrade, Michel Guerrero, Micaela Stacey, Diego Ortiz
Year: 2024
Galapagos genetic barcode, genetic exploration for the study of evolution
Researchers: Diana Pazmiño, Jaime Chaves
Year: 2024
Spatiotemporal dynamics of the marine ecosystem of the southeast of the Galapagos archipelago
Researchers: Marjorie Riofrío-Lazo, Francisco Arreguín Sánchez, Günther Reck, Diego Páez Rosas, Manuel J. Zetina, Andrew W. Trites
Year: 2024
Trophic ecology, population dynamics and impact assessment of introduced small mammals in priority conservation areas on San Cristóbal Island, Galapagos
Researchers: Marjorie Riofrío-Lazo, Diego Páez Rosas, Günther Reck, Francisco Arreguín, Manuel Zetina
Year: 2024
Understanding the evolutionary relationships of the Galapagos plants
Researcher: Gonzalo Rivas
Year: 2024
Understanding the effects of marine debris on seabirds in Galapagos
Researcher: Alice Skehel
Year: 2024
Understanding the impacts of pollution and population health patterns of endemic bird species at risk in the Galapagos archipelagos.
Researcher: Alice Skehel
Year: 2024
Ecology and conservation of Galapagos land snails
Researcher: Stella de la Torre
Year: 2024
Determination of the genetic diversity of the invasive blackberry (Rubus Niveus) using DNA sequencing associated with RAD restriction sites as a base line for the conservation of plants biodiversity of the Galapagos islands
Researcher: María de Lourdes Torres
Year: 2024
Genomic study of native and endemic grasses of the Galapagos Islands and the continent
Researcher: María de Lourdes Torres
Year: 2024
Study of the evolutionary genetics of the Galapagos carpenter bee (Xylocopa darwini)
Researcher: María de Lourdes Torres
Year: 2024
Natural and sexual selection on color traits and social behavior of lava lizards
Researcher: Carlos Valle, John W. Rowe PhD, Jennifer Moore PhD – Alma College – Grand Valley State University
Year: 2024
Genomic tracking of the lineage of "The great bird" from Daphne Mayor Island in the Galapagos
Researchers: Carlos Valle, Rosemary Grant, Erik Enbody, Selene Escobar Ramírez, Carl Rubin, Peter Grant, Leif Andersson
Year: 2024
Evolution of sperm size and sperm genes in Darwin's finches: a genetic and genomic approach
Researchers: Carlos Valle, Jan T. Lifjeld, Eduardo García del Rey, Erica Hele Leder, Selene Escobar Ramírez
Year: 2024
Dynamics of nocturnal pollination in two congeners of Verbenaceae: Lantana cámara (supirrosa) and Lantana peduncularis (Lantana de Galápagos) on San Cristóbal and Santa Cruz Islands, Galapagos, Ecuador.
Researchers: Hugo Valdebenito, Christoph Richter, Monika Havalka, Barbara Murck, Aaya Bahl, Henrry Vivanco, William Sturch, Erika Bollinger
Year: 2024
Study of the microbiome associated with species of the (Genus scalesia) in Galapagos
Researcher: Pieter Marinus Johannes Van‘t Hof
Year: 2024
Deciphering the taxonomic and functional diversity of the root microbiome of endemic and invasive Galápagos tomato populations.
Researcher: Pieter Marinus Johannes Van‘t Hof
Year: 2024
Movement patterns and habitat use of juvenile scalloped hammerhead sharks
Researcher: John Bruno, Savannah Ryburn
Year: 2023
Spatial foraging behavior and energy expenditure landscapes of the Galapagos penguin and cormorant, and their relationship to climate change
Researcher: Susana Cárdenas
Year: 2023
Searching endemic rodent species considered extinct in Santa Cruz, Santiago, and San Cristóbal, and conservation status of the endemic mouse of Santiago
Researchers: Carlos Carrión, Paul Taillie, Daniel Armijos, Ana Carrión Bonilla
Year: 2023
Origin and phylogeography of native and introduced species in the Galapagos Islands: Evolutionary synthesis of understudied species
Researcher: Jaime Chaves
Year: 2023
Demographic, ecological and hybridization threats analysis of two endemic Solanum species in the Galapagos Islands
Researchers: Leonie C. Moyle, María de Lourdes Torres, Matt Gibson, Timothy Biewer
Year: 2023
Native Galápagos wildlife responses to invasive species management and sea-level rise
Researchers: Paul Taillie
Year: 2023
Assessment of the genomic status of populations of two endemic Solanum species in the Galapagos Islands
Researcher: María de Lourdes Torres
Year: 2023
Hybridization and introgression in endemic and invasive plants in the Galapagos Islands
Researchers: Todd Vision, Bryan Reatini, Hugo Valdebenito, María de Lourdes Torres
Year: 2023
The interplay between global change and host-pathogen dynamics
Researchers: Senay Yitbarek
Year: 2023
Detailed delimitation of the nesting area of the Galápagos petrel (Pterodroma phaeopygia) using Geographic Information Systems techniques on San Cristobal Island
Researchers: Leo Zurita, Jonathan Guillén, Marcelo Landívar
Year: 2023
Identification of movement patterns, habitat use, diet patterns and epidemiological factors associated with the positive diagnosis of (Mycoplasma spp) and (Toxoplasma spp) in cats on San Cristóbal Island, Galapagos
Researcher: Jaime Grijalva
Year: 2022
Multitemporal photographs of finches and their variation in beak size according to the area of life. Use of "Citizen Science" for the collection of baseline data and dissemination of scientific information
Researcher: Gonzalo Rivas
Year: 2022
Vegetation change due to invasive plants and climate change. Permanent vegetation plots
Researchers: Gonzalo Rivas, Juan Guevara, Ross Mc. Cauley, Luke Flory, Tom Gillespie, Felipe Zapata, Ken Feeley, Pablo Vargas
Year: 2022
Galapagos sea urchins as an introductory system to scientific research for Ecuadorian students and their monitoring as potential sentinels of changes in marine-coastal communities around Puerto Baquerizo Moreno, San Cristóbal
Researcher: Carlos Valle
Year: 2022
Evolution and ecological considerations of Galapagos Marine Iguana morphology and locomotion: A comparative investigation into the invasion of the aquatic environment in reptiles
Researcher: Kate Berry, Christofer Clemente, Andrew Olds, Carlos Valle
Year: 2021
Structure and composition of the (Psidium guajava) and (Psidium galapageium) Myrtaceae communities on San Cristóbal Island, Galapagos
Researcher: Hugo Valdebenito
Year: 2021
Evaluation of the genetic diversity of the endemic genus (Darwiniothamnus harling) Asteraceae in Galapagos: evolutionary implications and its usefulness to define conservation strategies
Researchers: Hugo Valdebenito, María de Lourdes Torres, Patricio López, Koji Takayama, Glenda Fuentes
Year: 2020
Characterisation of the canchalagua population (Chiton goodalli and Chiton sulcatus) on San Cristóbal Island, Galapagos, Ecuador, for the recommendation of management measures: non-genetic
Researcher: Margarita Brandt, Omar Hernando Ávila – Poveda, Cristina Vintimilla Palacios, Quetzalli Yasu Abadía – Chanona
Year: 2019
Researcher: Susana Cárdenas
Year: 2019
Behavioural ecology of lava lizards (Tropiduridae microlophus) from Ecuador, and comparison between continental and island communities
Researcher: Juan Manuel Guayasamín
Year: 2019
Photograph of Galapagos reptiles and amphibians for the Reptiles of Ecuador and Amphibians of Ecuador field guides
Researcher: Juan Manuel Guayasamín
Year: 2019
Connectivity patterns of various marine species in Ecuador
Researchers: Margarita Brandt, Jaime Chaves
Year: 2017
Applied genetics and chemistry: how can sharks seized from the Fu Yuan Yu Leng 999 ship contribute to the conservation of Pacific shark populations?
Researcher: Juan Manuel Guayasamín
Year: 2017
Preliminary determination of the genetic diversity of guayabillo (Psidium galapageium) and guava (Psidium guajava) in Isabela and San Cristóbal Islands, Galapagos, and comparison of guava diversity with samples collected in three provinces of continental Ecuador
Researcher: María de Lourdes Torres
Year: 2017
Mapping and modeling invasive species in the Galapagos Islands
Researcher: Steve Walsh
Year: 2017
Identification of conservation strategies and population genetics of the critically endangered Galapagos petrel (Pterodroma phaeopygia)
Researcher: Jaime Chaves
Year: 2016
Research on the behaviour, ecology and molecular analysis of the vampire finch (Geospiza difficilis septentrionalis)
Researcher: Jaime Chaves
Year: 2016
Assessing the role of mangroves as essential breeding grounds for snappers (Lutjanidae) and grunts (Haemilidae) on Isabela, Santa Cruz and San Cristóbal Islands
Researcher: Joel Fodrie
Year: 2015
Conservation status of coral communities in the San Cristobal Island with emphasis to Pitt Point
Researcher: Judith Denkinger
Year: 2012