septiembre 2023 – Galapagos Science Center

La muerte de los corales relacionada con La Niña desencadena la pérdida de biodiversidad de las comunidades asociadas en las Galápagos

Durante un período frío de La Niña en el archipiélago central de Galápagos, el 70% de los corales de Pocillopora sufrieron graves blanqueamientos en tres sitios de monitoreo.

Hematología y Bioquímica del Lagarto de lava Española (Microlophus delanonis)

Este artículo presenta nuevos parámetros de salud de referencia sobre el lagarto de lava de Española (Microlophus delanonis). Este estudio continúa ampliando nuestra comprensión del género Microlophus; sin embargo, se deben realizar investigaciones adicionales.

Detección y cuantificación de la contaminación por microplásticos en el amenazado lobo marino de Galápagos.

La contaminación por desechos marinos representa una amenaza global significativa para la biodiversidad, siendo los plásticos el tipo principal de desechos encontrados en los océanos.

Kleptoparasitismo submarino en un buceador humano por un cormorán no volador de Galápagos (Nannopterum harrisi)

Describimos el kleptoparasitismo submarino en un buceador humano por un cormorán no volador de Galápagos, un comportamiento que no ha sido previamente descrito para esta especie.

Seguridad hídrica y sistemas agrícolas en las Islas Galápagos: vulnerabilidades bajo trayectorias climáticas y de uso de la tierra inciertas en el futuro

Estudio que aplica un enfoque basado en la incertidumbre en Galápagos para comprender los escenarios de riesgos para la seguridad hídrica de las cuencas agrícolas.

Estado de salud del ave trópico de pico rojo (Phaethon aethereus) determinado mediante hematología, bioquímica, gases sanguíneos y examen físico.

Los parámetros generales de salud, química sanguínea y hematología no han sido publicados previamente para esta especie.

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.

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!