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Galapagos Science Center

New milestone in whale shark research in Galápagos

News

The Galapagos Whale Shark Project team (GWSP), in collaboration with the Galápagos National Park Directorate (DPNG) and the Galapagos Science Center of the Universidad San Francisco de Quito (GSC-USFQ), has recently returned from a 15-day expedition to Darwin’s Arch, in the far north of the archipelago. During the expedition, the team successfully identified 12 different whale sharks and tagged 7 of them with SPLASH satellite tags, attached with clamps to the fin.

New milestone in whale shark research in Galápagos Read More »

Global tracking of marine megafauna space use reveals how to achieve conservation targets

Publications

An international team of over 400 scientists, including Alex Hearn, professor at Universidad San Francisco de Quito and researcher at the Galapagos Science Center, tracked more than 12,000 marine animals via satellite. The goal of this global effort was to accurately identify migratory routes and key areas used by different species for feeding, breeding, or movement, in order to generate essential information for their conservation.

Global tracking of marine megafauna space use reveals how to achieve conservation targets Read More »

Characterizing juvenile blacktip shark (Carcharhinus limbatus) nursery areas in the Galapagos: new methods and understandings

Publications

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.

Characterizing juvenile blacktip shark (Carcharhinus limbatus) nursery areas in the Galapagos: new methods and understandings Read More »

Caracterización de áreas de cría de tiburones de punta negra (Carcharhinus limbatus) juveniles en Galápagos: nuevos métodos y conocimientos

Publicaciones

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.

Caracterización de áreas de cría de tiburones de punta negra (Carcharhinus limbatus) juveniles en Galápagos: nuevos métodos y conocimientos Read More »

Mapping Important Shark and Ray Areas (ISRAs) in the Central and South American Pacific: Existing knowledge and data needs

Publications

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.

Mapping Important Shark and Ray Areas (ISRAs) in the Central and South American Pacific: Existing knowledge and data needs Read More »

Mapeo de Áreas Importantes para Tiburones y Rayas (ISRAs) en el Pacífico Central y Sudamericano: Conocimientos existentes y necesidades de datos

Publicaciones

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.

Mapeo de Áreas Importantes para Tiburones y Rayas (ISRAs) en el Pacífico Central y Sudamericano: Conocimientos existentes y necesidades de datos Read More »

Assessment of feeding patterns of the mottled scorpionfish (Pontinus clemensi) in the Galápagos Marine Reserve

Publications

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.

Assessment of feeding patterns of the mottled scorpionfish (Pontinus clemensi) in the Galápagos Marine Reserve Read More »

Evaluación de los patrones alimentarios del pez escorpión moteado (Pontinus clemensi) en la Reserva Marina de Galápagos.

Publicaciones

El pez escorpión moteado (Pontinus clemensi), conocido localmente como “brujo”, es una especie de alto valor económico, ecológico y cultural en las Islas Galápagos. En los últimos años, ha ganado relevancia en la pesca artesanal de la Reserva Marina de Galápagos (RMG), debido a la sobreexplotación de especies tradicionales como el bacalao y el camotillo. Como resultado, su presencia en los mercados locales y su consumo dentro de la comunidad registran un aumento.

Evaluación de los patrones alimentarios del pez escorpión moteado (Pontinus clemensi) en la Reserva Marina de Galápagos. Read More »

Exploring stress and morphology in two songbird species across urban, agricultural, and natural habitats on San Cristóbal Island, Galápagos

Publications

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.

Exploring stress and morphology in two songbird species across urban, agricultural, and natural habitats on San Cristóbal Island, Galápagos Read More »

Explorando el estrés y la morfología en dos especies de aves cantoras en hábitats urbanos, agrícolas y naturales de la Isla San Cristóbal, Galápagos

Publicaciones

En este estudio se analizó cómo los cambios en el uso del suelo afectan a dos especies de aves de Galápagos: el pinzón terrestre pequeño (Geospiza fuliginosa) y el canario maría (Setophaga petechia aureola). El objetivo fue comprender si las alteraciones en el hábitat, causadas por la urbanización y la agricultura en islas pobladas por humanos, influyen en su tamaño, peso y niveles de la hormona denominada corticosterona, que está relacionada con el estrés.

Explorando el estrés y la morfología en dos especies de aves cantoras en hábitats urbanos, agrícolas y naturales de la Isla San Cristóbal, Galápagos Read More »

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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!