Foto: Joshua Vela
Con más de una década de experiencia trabajando en las Islas Galápagos, Amanda Thompson ha contribuido a fortalecer la relación entre el Center for Galapagos Studies de la The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill y el Galapagos Science Center, respaldada por una alianza entre las universidades San Francisco de Quito y UNC-Chapel Hill.
En enero 2025, un equipo de científicos de la Universidad San Francisco de Quito (USFQ), el Galápagos Science Center (USFQ-GSC) y la Dirección del Parque Nacional Galápagos (DPNG) realizaron una expedición de dos semanas a Paramount: un monte submarino somero que se extiende desde los 1500 m de profundidad hasta alcanzar 180 m bajo la superficie, ubicado a 100 millas náuticas al noreste de la Reserva Marina de Galápagos. El objetivo de la expedición fue caracterizar la comunidad de peces presentes en el monte submarino y explorar su conectividad con Galápagos. Este trabajo se dio gracias al apoyo de las organizaciones Mission Blue, Galápagos Conservation Trust, MigraMar y Bezos Earth Fund.
Desde la Universidad San Francisco de Quito (USFQ) a través de su Centro de Ciencia, Galapagos Science Center (GSC), asumimos un compromiso activo con la conservación de la biodiversidad y el bienestar de los ecosistemas insulares. Como parte de este esfuerzo, lideramos la planificación estratégica para la implementación de un Sistema Integral de Salud de Fauna Silvestre en las Islas Galápagos, un modelo innovador basado en el enfoque One Health, que reconoce la interconexión entre la salud animal, ambiental y humana.
A recent study conducted on San Cristóbal Island, Galápagos, successfully identified nursery areas of the blacktip shark (Carcharhinus limbatus) using drones as the primary tool. This research compared the use of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) with traditional methods such as gillnets, revealing that drones allow for significantly higher and non-invasive detection of juvenile sharks in coastal areas.
Chondrichthyans, a class of aquatic vertebrates (sharks, rays, and chimaeras), are facing a global extinction crisis driven by overfishing, habitat degradation, climate change, and pollution. Of the approximately 1,250 species studied, more than one third (37%) are at risk of extinction according to the International Union for Conservation of Nature Red List, making this group the second most threatened among vertebrates.
The Spotted Scorpionfish (Pontinus clemensi) is a species of high economic, ecological, and cultural value in the Galápagos Islands. In recent years, it has gained relevance in the artisanal fisheries of the Galápagos Marine Reserve (GMR) due to the overexploitation of traditional species such as bacalao (Mycteroperca olfax) and camotillo (Paralabrax albomaculatus). As a result, its presence in local markets and its consumption within the community have increased.
Por primera vez, un estudio evaluó la exposición de los lobos marinos de Galápagos (Zalophus wollebaeki), una especie endémica y vulnerable, al parásito Toxoplasma gondii. A través de análisis serológicos, moleculares e histopatológicos en muestras de animales vivos y cadáveres, se identificó una alta seroprevalencia en juveniles de esta especie (79 %) y la presencia de ADN parasitario en tejidos pulmonares.
Un reciente estudio, realizado en la isla San Cristóbal (Galápagos), logró identificar zonas de cría del tiburón punta negra (Carcharhinus limbatus) mediante la aplicación de drones como herramienta principal de análisis. Esta investigación comparó el uso de vehículos aéreos no tripulados (UAVs) con métodos tradicionales, como redes de enmalle, revelando que los drones permiten una detección significativamente mayor y no invasiva de tiburones juveniles en áreas costeras.
Los condrictios, una clase de vertebrados acuáticos (tiburones, rayas y quimeras), enfrentan una crisis global de extinción provocada por la sobrepesca, la degradación del hábitat, el cambio climático y la contaminación. De las aproximadamente 1.250 especies estudiadas, más de un tercio (37%) está en peligro de extinción según la Lista Roja de la Unión Internacional para la Conservación de la Naturaleza, lo que convierte a este grupo en el segundo más amenazado entre los vertebrados.
This study analyzed how land use changes affect two bird species in the Galápagos: the small ground finch (Geospiza fuliginosa) and the yellow warbler (Setophaga petechia aureola). The goal was to understand whether habitat alterations, caused by urbanization and agriculture on human-populated islands, affect their size, weight, and levels of the hormone corticosterone, which is linked to stress.
The blue-footed booby (Sula nebouxii excisa) is an iconic and endemic species of the Galápagos Islands. While its behavior and reproductive biology have been widely studied, little is known about its health in the wild. This type of information is essential to understand how environmental factors may impact its well-being, especially in the context of climate change and declining prey availability. The recent study aims to provide baseline health data that can support conservation strategies.
The marine iguanas of Galápagos (Amblyrhynchus cristatus) have the ability to lower their heart rate to conserve energy—an adaptation developed to cope with El Niño events. During these periods, warmer ocean temperatures reduce algae, their main food source, threatening the survival of the world’s only marine lizard.
Killer whales (Orcinus orca) are known as one of the ocean’s most versatile predators, yet their behavior in tropical waters remains a mystery. This study documents, for the first time, orca attacks on whale sharks (Rhincodon typus) in Ecuador and Panama, providing valuable insights into their hunting strategies in the Eastern Tropical Pacific (ETP). Understanding these events is key to expanding knowledge about this predator’s dynamics in the region.
Puerto Baquerizo Moreno, en la isla San Cristóbal, será la sede del 7º Simposio de Investigación y Conservación en Galápagos.
Este importante evento multidisciplinario, que se llevará a cabo el lunes 14 y martes 15 de julio de 2025 en el Centro de Convenciones Charles Darwin, será organizado por el Galápagos Science Center, gracias al auspicio de la Universidad de Carolina del Norte en Chapel Hill y la Universidad San Francisco de Quito, y con el apoyo del Parque Nacional Galápagos.
El 6º Simposio de Investigación y Conservación de Galápagos se llevó a cabo el lunes 15 y martes 16 de julio de 2024 en el Centro de Convenciones Charles Darwin en San Cristóbal, Galápagos.
Este importante evento multidisciplinario fue organizado por el Galápagos Science Center, con el auspicio de la Universidad de Carolina del Norte en Chapel Hill y la Universidad San Francisco de Quito, y con el aval del Parque Nacional Galápagos.
Puerto Baquerizo Moreno, en la isla San Cristóbal, será la sede del 5º Simposio de Investigación y Conservación de Galápagos.
Este importante evento multidisciplinario contará con presentaciones científicas y charlas enfocadas en la comunidad, mostrando investigaciones e iniciativas relacionadas con la conservación, el cambio ambiental, la biodiversidad y los océanos, la salud y las iniciativas comunitarias.
En 2022, el Galápagos Science Center (GSC) y la iniciativa más amplia UNC & USFQ Galápagos celebraron su décimo aniversario.
El GSC organizó la Cumbre Mundial sobre Sostenibilidad Insular del 26 al 30 de junio de 2022 en el Galápagos Science Center y en el Centro de Convenciones Comunitario en San Cristóbal.
Puerto Baquerizo Moreno, on San Cristóbal Island, will host the 7th Symposium on Research and Conservation in Galápagos. This important multidisciplinary event, which will take place on Monday, July 14 and Tuesday, July 15, 2025, at the Charles Darwin Convention Center, will be organized by the Galapagos Science Center, thanks to the sponsorship of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and the Universidad San Francisco de Quito, and with the support of the Galápagos National Park.
The 6th Galápagos Research and Conservation Symposium took place on Monday, July 15 and Tuesday, July 16, 2024 at the Charles Darwin Convention Center on San Cristóbal, Galápagos. This important multidisciplinary event was organized by the Galapagos Science Center, with the sponsorship of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and the Universidad San Francisco de Quito with the endorsement of the Galapagos National Park.
Puerto Baquerizo Moreno, on San Cristóbal Island, will host the 5th Galapagos Research and Conservation Symposium. This significant multidisciplinary event will feature scientific presentations and community-focused talks, showcasing research and initiatives related to conservation, environmental change, biodiversity and oceans, health, and community initiatives.
In 2022, the Galapagos Science Center (GSC) and the broader UNC & USFQ Galapagos Initiative celebrated its 10th Anniversary. The GSC hosted the World Summit on Island Sustainability on June 26–30, 2022 at the Galapagos Science Center and the Community Convention Center on San Cristobal Island.
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!