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Connecting the Community with Nature: A Galápagos conservation program celebrates the successful completion of its sixth phase

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With the goal of raising environmental awareness and promoting the conservation of the archipelago’s natural resources, the Galapagos Science Center (GSC) and the Galapagos Conservation Trust have been running the “Connecting with Nature Program” (CWNP) since 2019. This initiative has reached over 9,100 community members on San Cristóbal Island, through recreational and educational activities tailored to children, youth, and adults.

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Scientific expedition studies several megafauna species in Galápagos

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The Galápagos National Park Directorate (GNPD), in collaboration with Universidad San Francisco de Quito (USFQ), the Galapagos Science Center (GSC), and Proyecto Mantas Ecuador (PME), conducted a scientific expedition in the southern and eastern regions of Isabela Island. Supported by Brookfield Zoo Chicago’s Sarasota Dolphin Research Program, Mote Marine Laboratory, Georgia Aquarium, and the Ocean Tracking Network, the expedition provided valuable data for at least four research projects.

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A Decade of ISLAVET: Science in action for the conservation of Galápagos

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The ISLAVET program successfully concluded its tenth edition, solidifying its role as a key initiative for science and conservation in the archipelago. This year, a team of 33 participants, including 23 veterinary students and 10 veterinarians from the United States, Australia, the United Kingdom, Singapore, and the USFQ School of Veterinary Medicine, took part in field research under the leadership of Juan Pablo Muñoz, Diana Deresienski, Gregory Lewbart, and Daniela Alarcón from the Galapagos Science Center (GSC).

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USFQ and INSPI sign an agreement to strengthen scientific research and academic training

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Universidad San Francisco de Quito (USFQ) and the National Institute of Public Health Research (INSPI) ‘Dr. Leopoldo Izquieta Pérez,’ an institution under the Ministry of Public Health (MSP), have signed an inter-institutional cooperation agreement to strengthen scientific research and academic training in public health and wildlife conservation in Ecuador.

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Research Expedition to Paramount: the forgotten seamount

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In January 2025, a team of scientists from Universidad San Francisco de Quito (USFQ), the Galápagos Science Center (GSC) and the Galápagos National Park Directorate (GNPD) carried out a two-week expedition to Paramount: a shallow-water seamount rising from a depth of over 1500 m to only 180 m below the surface, located 100 nautical miles northeast of the Galápagos Marine Reserve. The objective of the expedition was to characterize the fish community around the seamount and explore its connections with Galápagos. The work was supported by the organizations Mission Blue, Galápagos Conservation Trust, MigraMar and Bezos Earth Fund.

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USFQ, through the Galapagos Science Center, promotes a comprehensive wildlife health model in the archipelago

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At Universidad San Francisco de Quito (USFQ), through the Galapagos Science Center (GSC), we are committed to biodiversity conservation and the well-being of island ecosystems. As part of this effort, we are leading the strategic planning for the implementation of a Comprehensive Wildlife Health System in the Galapagos Islands, an innovative model based on the One Health approach, which recognizes the connection between animal, environmental, and human health.

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USFQ, Metropolitan Touring, and Finch Bay Hotel sign an agreement to protect whale sharks in the Galápagos

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Universidad San Francisco de Quito (USFQ) and Metropolitan Touring have signed a collaboration agreement for the conservation of the whale shark, the world’s largest fish. This partnership reaffirms the commitment of both institutions to sustainability and the protection of the biodiversity of the Galápagos Islands. The initiative is being carried out in coordination with the Galápagos National Park Directorate (GNPD), the authority responsible for protecting the archipelago’s unique ecosystems.

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REACCT Project Relaunches in Galápagos: Supporting Local Businesses and Sustainable Development

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Six agro-based businesses adding value to local raw materials have been selected for the REACCT (Reactivating the Economy through Science, Community, and Work) project in San Cristóbal, Galápagos. These businesses: Galafruit, El Trapiche, Asecris/Chatham, Green Island, Lácteos San Cristóbal, and Galápagos Natural Harmony, were chosen based on criteria such as impact, market access, and innovation. All of them have previously participated in the Rural Business Schools initiative led by Heifer Ecuador Foundation in San Cristóbal.

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The effect of “El Niño” on marine iguanas: A study to understand its impact

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Captain Darwin is an NGO dedicated to documenting environmental and biodiversity changes in the places visited by world-famous naturalist Charles Darwin during his voyage on the HMS Beagle 189 years ago. This NGO provides logistical support, through the use of its vessel, to local researchers at each stop on Darwin’s historic voyage.

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In 2022, the Galapagos Science Center (GSC) and the broader UNC & USFQ Galapagos Initiative will celebrate its 10th Anniversary. We are proud to announce the World Summit on Island Sustainability scheduled to be held on June 26–30, 2022 at the Galapagos Science Center and the Community Convention Center on San Cristobal Island.

The content of the World Summit will be distributed globally through social media and results documented through papers published in a book written as part of the Galapagos Book Series by Springer Nature and edited by Steve Walsh (UNC) & Carlos Mena (USFQ) as well as Jill Stewart (UNC) and Juan Pablo Muñoz (GSC/USC). The book will be inclusive and accessible by the broader island community including scientists, managers, residents, tourists, and government and non-government organizations.

While the most obvious goal of organizing the World Summit on Island Sustainability is to celebrate the 10th Anniversary of the GSC and the UNC-USFQ Galapagos Initiative, other goals will be addressed through special opportunities created as part of our operational planning of the World Summit.

For instance, we seek to elevate and highlight the Galapagos in the island conservation discourse, seeking to interact with other island networks in more obvious and conspicuous ways to benefit the Galapagos Islands, the UNC-USFQ Galapagos Initiative, and the world. We will seize the opportunity to further develop the I2N2 – International Islands Network-of-Networks. Further, we wish to highlight and emphasize multiple visions of a sustainable future for the Galapagos Islands and we cannot do this alone. Therefore, engaging the Ecuadorian Ministry of Environment, the Ministry of Tourism, the Government Council of Galapagos, the Galapagos National Park, and local Galapagos authorities, including government and non-government organizations and local citizen groups, is imperative.

The Galapagos Science Center on San Cristobal Island, Galapagos

Borrowing from Hawaii’s and Guam’s Green Growth Program and the Global Island Partnership, we wish to examine existing global programs that emphasize island sustainability and their incorporation into life, policies, and circumstances in the Galapagos Islands. We will also seek to enhance our connections with the institutional members of our International Galapagos Science Consortium and expand the Consortium through the recruitment of other member institutions. We will also work to benefit islands and their local communities by working with citizen groups as well as important NGOs who seek to improve the natural conditions in the Galapagos and diminish the impact of the human dimension on the future of Galapagos’ ecosystems.

Lastly, we will use the World Summit to benefit UNC & USFQ and our constituencies through a strong and vibrant communication plan about the World Summit, creating corporate relationships as sponsors, identifying funding goals through donors, and benefiting our study abroad program for student engagement in the Galapagos Islands. We plan to develop and issue a Galapagos Sustainability Communique after the World Summit that includes the vision and insights of all its participants for a sustainable Galapagos with applicability to global island settings.

We are eager to hear your perspective and have you join us at the World Summit on Island Sustainability!