Conservation

Our projects aim to find mechanisms to improve the protection of key terrestrial and marine ecosystems of the Galapagos Islands, as models for other oceanic islands and ecological vulnerable areas. We understand that the Galapagos is under a vast number of anthropogenic pressures, but also recognize that local populations are key to improving management and sustainability. We work closely with the Galapagos National Park and local governments to advance and improve management actions.

Our projects include topics in: Endangered Species, Wildlife Veterinary, Agroecology, Territorial Planning of Protected Areas.

Let’s meet the impactful projects and their researchers:

RESEARCH PROJECTS

Genetic connectivity and health of cetaceans in Galapagos and Equatorial waters with other regions of the Pacific

Researcher: Daniela Alarcón

Year: 2024

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, Héctor Guzmán, Juan Pablo Muñoz, Ari Friedlaende, Javier Oña Martín Narváez, Judith Denkinger, Robert Pitman Juan José Álava 

Year: 2024

Study of the floral origin, quality parameters, chemical composition and antimicrobial activity of the 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, Paúl Rosero

Year: 2024

Contextualization 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 species of herbivores, as indicator species

Researchers: Margarita Brandt, John Bruno

Year: 2024

Connectivity patterns of various marine species in Ecuador

Researchers: Margarita Brandt, Jaime Chaves, 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, Paul Rosero, Anna Shvets, César Zambrano, Cheryl Logan, Nikki Traylor- Knowles, Michael Connelly, Santiago Rosero

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

Researchers: Jaime Chaves

Year: 2024

Land birds of San Cristóbal Island, Galapagos: Natural history, distribution and population situation

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 Guayasamín, Jaime Chaves, Valeria Ochoa, Gonzalo Rivas, Adolfo Cordero, Anaís Rivas, Lorenza Olaya, Andrea Tapia, Claudia Serrano 

Year: 2024

Ecology of the marine iguanas (Amblyrhynchus cristatus) of the Galapagos Islands

Researchers: Juan Manuel Guayasamín, Sebastian Nikolaus Steinfartz, Diego Páez Rosas, Amy MacLeod, Sten Anslan, Gabriel Trueba, Gonzalo Rivas Torres, Denisse Dalgo, Andrea Varela, Flora Sophie Uesseler, Matthäus Haase, Andrés Mármol, Diego Ortiz, Isabel Damas Moreira, Eduardo Sampaio, Victor Rault

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

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

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

Technification of a NFT hydroponic system for sustainable fruit and vegetable production on San Cristobal Island, Galapagos

Researcher: Antonio León Reyes

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

Investigation of plastic exposure in the Galapagos marine food web, focusing on plankton, invertebrates, algae and mangroves

Researchers: Ceri Lewis, Carlos Mena 

Year: 2024

Remote sensing of Galapagos Islands beaches and vulnerability assessments

Researcher: Carlos Mena

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

Long-term water quality monitoring programme in San Cristobal, Galapagos

Researchers: Valeria Ochoa-Herrera, Jill Stewart, Katherine Paola Vélez Herrera

Year: 2024

Using genetic tools to understand the invasion of non-native earthworms in the Galapagos Islands

Researcher: Jaime Ortíz

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

Galapagos genetic barcode, genetic exploration of the study of evolution

Researchers: Diana Pazmiño, Jaime Chaves

Year: 2024

Arachnida, Coleoptera, Solifugae, Onycophora, Hemiptera, and Hymenoptera on San Cristobal and Floreana Islands in the Galapagos

Researchers: Carmen Emilia Peñaherrera Romero, María de Lourdes Torres Proaño, Miguel Mateo Dávila Játiva, Selene Escobar Ramírez, Melannie Vanessa Núñez León, David Marcelo Torres Arízaga, Paola Tatiana Flores Males 

Year: 2024

Livestock welfare management; antimicrobial knowledge, attitudes and practices among farmers; and presence of extended-spectrum β-lactamase-producing (Escherichia coli) in the sectors of One Health, Floreana Island, Galapagos

Researcher: Sarah Rhea

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, Günther Reck, Francisco Arreguín, Manuel Zetina

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

Understanding the evolutionary relationships of the Galapagos plants

Researcher: Gonzalo Rivas

Year: 2024

High resolution study on the microclimates of various plant zones on San Cristóbal Island, Galapagos, Ecuador

Researcher: Steven R. Schultze

Year: 2024

Understanding the effects of marine debris on seabirds in Galapagos

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 the plant biodiversity of the Galapagos Islands

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 in lava lizards

Researcher: Carlos Valle

Year: 2024

Evolution of sperm size and sperm genes in Darwin’s finches: A genetic and genomic approach

Researchers: Carlos Valle, Jant T. Lifjeld, Eduardo García del Rey, Erica Hele Leder, Selene Escobar Ramírez

Year: 2024

Dynamics of nocturnal pollination in two congeners of Verbenaceae: (Lantana camara) supirrosa and (Lantana peduncularis) lantana de Galápagos on San Cristóbal Island, Galapagos, Ecuador

Researchers: Hugo Valdebenito, Christoph Richter, Monika Havalka, Barbara Murck, Aaya Bahl, Henrry Vivanco, William Sturch, Erika Bollinger

Year: 2024

Alien species in the Galapagos: quantifying environmental and socio-economic impacts, and assessing stakeholders perceptions

Researcher: Pieter Marinus Johannes van‘t Hof

Year: 2024

Study of the microbiome associated with species of the (Genus scalesia) in Galapagos

Researcher: Pieter Marinus Johannes van‘t Hof

Year: 2024

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 threat analysis of two endemic Solanum species in the Galapagos Islands

Researchers: Leonie C. Moyle, María de Lourdes Torres, Matt Gibson, Timothy Biewer

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

Detailed delimitation of the nesting area of ​​the Galapagos petrel (Pterodroma phaeopygia) using geographic information systems techniques on San Cristobal Island

Researchers: Leo Zurita, Jonathan Guillén, Marcelo Landívar

Year: 2023

The value of mangroves and other coastal habitats for fishery species in the Galapagos Islands

Researcher: Ronald Baker

Year: 2022

Understanding the effects of plastic pollution in Galapagos

Researcher: Juan Pablo Muñoz

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 base line 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

Real-time mapping and construction of future predictive models of the distribution of introduced and native species in Galapagos using low-cost unmanned spacecraft

Researchers: Gonzalo Rivas, Carlos Mena, Fátima Benítez, Diego Páez, Eduardo Espinoza, Jenifer Suarez, Sebastian Steinfartz, Francisco Laso

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

Ecology and current status of the Galapagos seabird community: Study of spatiotemporal variation in diet, trophic relationships, distribution and population status

Researchers: Carlos Valle, Susana Cardénas, Gregory Lewbart, Diane Deresienski

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

Researchers: Kate Berry, Andrew Olds, Carlos Valle, Christofer Clemente

Year: 2021

Investigation and monitoring of impacts in visiting sites of the Galapagos National Park with an adaptive and integrated approach

Researchers: Susana Cárdenas, Günther Reck, Yu Fai Leung, Maryuri Yépez, Katalina Gallardo, Alex Hearn, Gonzalo Rivas, Valeria Ochoa-Herrera

Year: 2021

Evaluation of the hydrological cycle, and its effects on the vegetation and soil formation in San Cristóbal, Galapagos

Researchers: Diego Riveros-Iregui, Elizabeth Anne, Sarah Shank, May Yannarell, Alexi Van Ess, Jia Hu, Alex Beebe

Year: 2021

The impact of mineralogy and soil development on lithium isotopes: A systematic study of the island of San Cristóbal, Galapagos

Researchers: Xiaoming Liu, Diego Riveros-Iregui

Year: 2020

The influence of land use change on the movement ecology of the San Cristobal giant tortoise (Chelonoidis chathamensis)

Researcher: Kyana Pike

Year: 2020

Quantifying the source and composition of marine organic aerosols in the Galapagos Islands

Researcher: William Vizuete

Year: 2020

Characterization of the canchalagua population (Chiton goodalli) and (Chiton sulcatus) on San Cristóbal Island, Galapagos, Ecuador, for the recommendation of non-genetic management measures

Researchers: Margarita Brandt

Year: 2019

Vulnerability and adaptive capacity in a tourist destination community, San Cristóbal, Galapagos

Researcher: Renato Israel Cáceres Vaca

Year: 2019

Analysis of the effects of tourism activities on red-footed booby colonies (Sula sula) on San Cristóbal Island

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

Connectivity patterns of various marine species of Ecuador

Researchers: Margarita Brandt, Jaime Chaves, Juan Manuel Álava, Michael Kingsford

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

DNA sequencing of Galapagos seaweeds: A critical need to understand the marine biota

Researchers: Todd Vision, Paul Gabrielson

Year: 2017

Mapping and modeling invasive species in the Galapagos Islands

Researcher: Steve Walsh

Year: 2017

High resolution commercial satellite imagery for island studies

Researchers: Steve Walsh, Laura Brewington, Yang Shao, Francisco Laso, Phil Page

Year: 2017

Fish and marine invertebrates served in restaurants and their relationship with the tourism industry in Galapagos

Researcher: Margarita Brandt

Year: 2016

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

Historical ecology of the Galapagos Islands

Researcher: Florencio Delgado

Year: 2016

Modeling fisheries in the Galapagos Islands

Researchers: Steve Walsh, Kim Engie, Phil Page, Brian Frizzelle

Year: 2016

Prevalence of morbillivirus, and transmission of canine bacterial and viral pathogens in the San Cristóbal sea lion population

Researcher: Judith Denkinger

Year: 2013

Conservation status of coral communities in the San Cristobal Island with emphasis to Pitt Point

Researcher: Judith Denkinger

Year: 2012

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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!