In a major step forward for global ocean conservation, States last week finalized the text for a new international treaty to better protect the high seas. The overall objective of the treaty, which took over 15 years to agree, is to ensure the conservation and sustainable use of marine biological di...

Have you ever wondered how conservation efforts in different parts of the world are connected? While thousands of miles apart, the Galapagos and Ogasawara islands share a common goal - to protect their unique and fragile ecosystems. In 2018, the Charles Darwin Foundation and Japanese authorities sig...

As a graduation present, my parents fulfilled one of my big dreams: ¡A trip to the Galápagos! During my one-week stay in this paradise I could appreciated and enjoyed each site and the wonderful species that this beautiful place has. One afternoon, when I was swimming on the Tortuga Bay...

Kelps are giant, brown algae that look a lot like plants, but actually belong to the Protist Kingdom, so they are not even closely related. However, much like trees, kelp can form vast undersea canopies, called kelp forests, teeming with marine file, feeding, breeding and finding refuge there. Kelps...

What’s the island like? Has anyone else collected insects here? What kind of insects live there? Is there any interaction between endemic plants and insects? These are some of the questions I started asking myself as I prepared a field trip to Española island. The fact is that a researc...

Galapagos, 12th December, 2022.- The Seamounts project, led by scientists from the Charles Darwin Foundation (CDF), in collaboration with the Galapagos National Park Directorate and a multidisciplinary team of international researchers, found an extensive kelp forest covering the summit of an underw...

Birds are once again our fabulous protagonists of the month of December. Now in its seventh edition, our annual Christmas Bird Count is in full swing in Galapagos. Throughout the month of December, we organize activities with countless members of our community who have an interest in science and wan...

In mid-2020, we found ourselves in the last year of our biology studies, thinking about our thesis. At the time, we both had a clear goal: to combine fieldwork with laboratory work. We considered several possibilities, some clearer than others. After several weeks of exchanging emails and frequent m...

Press release- December 12, 2022.- The Marine Invasions Research Laboratory of the Smithsonian Environmental Research Center (SERC) in the United States and the Charles Darwin Foundation (CDF) of the Galápagos, Ecuador are pleased to announce the launch of the&nb...

When we talk about Galapagos we always think of Darwin, giant tortoises and finches. But few outside Galapagos know about the Scalesia plants, commonly known as Darwin’s giant daisies. Scalesia is a genus of several plant species endemic to Galapagos. They exist nowhere else in the world. Lik...

An international team of researchers conducted a study on giant Galapagos tortoises and their interactions with human activities in the agricultural areas of Santa Cruz Island, where these emblematic animals go to feed and rest. The objective was to determine the density of tortoises (number of tort...

The United Nations Climate Change Conference COP 27 will be held in the coming days in Egypt and the Charles Darwin Foundation is organizing a very special side event on the Eastern Tropical Pacific Marine Corridor (CMAR). Our scientist, Dr. Inti Keith, CDF senior marine biologist and coordinator of...

On the 17th of October, the governments of Ecuador and Germany, through the KfW Development Bank, signed a 5-year agreement that will fund the implementation of the program "Biodiversity Protection in the Galapagos Islands", for a total value of 15 million euros. These funds will be used to finance ...

Press release- October 4th 2022, Quito. - The Charles Darwin Foundation (CDF) presented its 5-yr Strategic Plan and first Impact Report during its 51st Annual General Assembly. The meeting was held at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Quito, Ecuador, on the 3rd and 4th of October, and presided...

Press release- 3 October, 2022, Quito, Ecuador - The Board of Directors of the Charles Darwin Foundation for the Galapagos Islands (“CDF”) is delighted to announce that it has elected Yolanda Kakabadse as its new President, with immediate effect. Her appointment coincides with the openin...

Linda first came to Galapagos in 1982 for her Ph.D. to studying the behavior and ecology of the giant tortoises. That year saw one of the strongest El Niño event on record, turning her fieldwork into a daily struggle against rain, mud and fire ants. But that didn’t stop Linda, who was p...

Between 2001 and 2005, a total of 263 samples of different Galapagos marine species left the islands to be taxonomically identified and studied by Dr. Cleveland Hickman, zoologist & Professor Emeritus of Washington and Lee University in the United States. Some of these samples have been on the m...

Press release.- Scientists from the Charles Darwin Foundation have reported that seven Little Vermilion Flycatcher chicks successfully fledged this year. These, plus eight fledglings from 2021 and six fledglings from 2020, have given this crucially small population a significant boost and have broug...

Over the past two days, 13 of our scientists participated in the fourth Galapagos Science Symposium, organized by the Galapagos National Park Directorate. The Symposium marks the celebration of the 44th anniversary of the declaration of the Archipelago as a World Natural Heritage Site and invited vi...

I was invited to join a field trip with the Petrel Monitoring Project, led by The Galapagos National Park Directorate (GNPD). This trip was especially meaningful to me because it brought back fond memories of excursions I took with my father as a child. Very early in the morning, we drove up to the...

Have you ever wondered who is behind the conservation of the Galapagos flora? During the final months of 2020, the fateful COVID-19 pandemic year, I was exhausted by virtual life and the uncertainty of what the future would hold for us as humankind. But also, I felt stuck. I was in the middle of my...

It wasn’t even 8 a.m. on July 22nd 2022, and the first group of students arrived at the welcome tent to visit our 2022 Open House. We had a group of 10-year old’s, who were happy to take the tour of the Charles Darwin Research Station (CDRS) to learn in detail about the projects we carry...

Following nine weeks camping in the remote northwest of Isabela Island, Galapagos, the Charles Darwin Foundation and Galapagos National Park Directorate Mangrove Finch Project field team returned to Puerto Ayora, after carrying out the annual activities for the conservation of the mangrove finch. Th...

On July 22nd we will be pleased to welcome you to our 2022 Open House. In this annual event, we want to share with you in an interactive and dynamic way all the research projects that are part of the Charles Darwin Research Station. The Charles Darwin Foundation (CDF) carries out this activity as pa...

A new study published by CDF scientists proposes a new classification of the taxa in the plant genus Lecocarpus, to comprise four different endemic species, that is, they are only found in Galapagos and are of great importance for the functioning of the archipelago’s ecosystem.The four species...

The Galapagos was the first place I ever put on the awkward fitting and perhaps slightly oversized SCUBA gear and wetsuit as a young teenager and took my first step into the magnificent underwater world whose doors it opened. Now, over ten years later, that gear no longer feels awkward, and the wets...

Freshly graduated from school and ready to plan my gap year ahead, just before starting my college studies, I thought, what could bring me a once-in-a-lifetime experience? I love to volunteer, I did it throughout my high school career and definitely wanted to do more volunteer work. So I looked at t...

Press release.- Portugal, July 4th 2022- The UN Ocean Conference 2022 took place from 27 June to 1 July in Lisbon, Portugal, and brought together more than 5000 participants, including world leaders, entrepreneurs, youth, influencers and scientists. The aim was to discuss ways to protect the world's...

On June 21st, Friends of Cocos Island Foundation (FAICO) and the Charles Darwin Foundation renewed their cooperation agreement, with the purpose of strengthening the management, protection and conservation of the natural resources and ecosystems of the Cocos Marine Conservation Area (ACMC), the Gala...

We are about to embark on a new adventure at the UN Ocean Conference 2022, which this year will be held from 27 June to 1 July in Lisbon, Portugal. The goal of this conference is to deliver science-driven innovations and solutions to a multidimensional crisis driven by climate change, overfishing, h...

The Eastern Tropical Pacific is host to five different species of sea turtles, and in Galapagos waters we can find four of these species, and only one of them nests on our beaches. On June 16 each year, we celebrate World Sea Turtle Day and share with you the fascinating facts we’ve learned ab...

Did you know that artisanal fishing is not only carried out at sea? To make fishing possible, it is necessary to execute other activities on land, for instance: preparing food, fishing equipment, ice, as well as the processing and sale of fish. Galapagos women are in charge of carrying out these tas...

Recently, researchers from the Charles Darwin Foundation, the Universidad San Francisco de Quito and the Galapagos National Park Directorate demonstrated that the feeding behavior of hammerhead sharks (Sphyrna lewini) is affected during the presence of climatic events, such as El Niño/La Ni&n...

The Galapagos Islands are known globally for their great biodiversity, their high levels of endemism and the role they played in helping Charles Darwin to formulate his theory on evolution by natural selection. Its unique fauna, flora and landscapes are of interest to thousands of national and inter...

Press Release.- The Marine Ecosystems team of the Charles Darwin Foundation (CDF), the Galapagos National Park Directorate (GNPD), the Oceanographic and Antarctic Institute of the Navy (INOCAR for its acronym in spanish) and the philanthropic engineering organisation Aqualink, installed an oceanogra...

In May 2022, the Charles Darwin Foundation (CDF) published the case study: "The story of 'Pescado Azul' in Isabela: a case to transmit, remember and learn". The Pescado Azul Women's Association, created in 2001, consisted of a group of women dedicated to the production and marketing of fishery produ...

Tracking silky sharks has revealed them to be swift swimmers. But they’re also one of the most heavily fished sharks globally. Will expanded marine protection in the Tropical Eastern Pacific go far enough to protect these long-distance swimmers? Shark satellite tagging carried out by scientis...

Press release.- The Charles Darwin Foundation's Inspiration Complex, hosted approximately forty people, during the closing ceremony for the Coastal Fisheries Initiative - Challenge Fund Ecuador project. The attendees of this event included the Mayor of the Autonomous Decentralized Municipal Gov...

The Charles Darwin Research Station (CDRS) is a must-see for any visitor to the Galapagos Islands. The research station, which is located on Santa Cruz Island, is famous for its scientific research and conservation efforts since its establishment in 1964. It was here that scientists developed the fi...

The new nonprofit hit the ground running thanks to a generous seed grant by Re:wild and is currently matching new donations dollar-for-dollar. Press Release.- Valhalla, New York, 2 May, 2022 – Friends of the Charles Darwin Foundation for the Galápagos Islands is proud to announce that ...

Press Release.- From 22 to 24 of March, the Charles Darwin Foundation (CDF) and the Galapagos National Park Directorate (GNPD) held the second "Participatory workshop on the development of an agent for the biological control of the invasive blackberry (Rubus niveus) on the Galapagos Islands&rdq...

The Board of Directors of the Charles Darwin Foundation for the Galapagos Islands and the Ambassador of the Republic of Ecuador to the United States, Ivonne A-Baki, held a meeting to strengthen ties between the two organizations. From left to right: Ivonne A-Baki, Ambassador of Ecuador to the Unite...

Five new ventures which are part of the ““Entrepreneurial Community of the Galapagos Seafood System” presented their business ideas and plans. These ventures have received technical assistance in the context of the Coastal Fisheries Initiative Challenge Fund (CFI-CF) Ecuador, and a...

For years, I have dedicated my work towards plant conservation in urban areas. However, a few months ago, my life had a sudden turn that brought me to the Galapagos islands. This archipelago, unlike big cities, has a major part of its territory devoted to conservation. Urban development is restricte...

The Charles Darwin Foundation sends our deepest condolences to the family of Ans Thurkow-Hartmans, former Treasurer and Vice-President of the Dutch Friends of Galapagos. Ans was a great ally and friend of the Research Station and Galapagos, as well as an avid supporter of protecting its unique biodi...

Over the course of the 7th and 8th of February 2022 and situated in the Inspiration Complex of the Charles Darwin Foundation (CDF), the Second International Symposium “Galapagos-Israel, Sustainability in the Galapagos Islands: 21st Century and Beyond” took place in the presence of renown...

A year of challenges is summarized in our annual report 2020 that we have prepared for our readers. Challenges that, thanks to the commitment of all of us at the Charles Darwin Foundation, we were able to overcome. We cannot deny that the COVID19 pandemic hit us all, however, we were able to face it...

Abraham Bonilla, a 24-year-old from Galapagos, came to the Charles Darwin Foundation (CDF) by chance as he’d seen an advertisement for our scholarship program Fernando Ortiz Crespo. He decided to apply and now is about to graduate in Tourism Business Administration Engineering at the Universid...

On January 14, 2022, in a ceremony attended by Guillermo Lasso, President of Ecuador; Iván Duque, President of Colombia; Bill Clinton, former President of the United States; and other authorities, a decree establishing the new Galapagos Marine Reserve, Hermandad, was signed. A total of 60,000...

Wolf volcano began erupting in the early morning hours of January 7, starting at 00h20 EST (January 6, 23h20 local time). The volcano is located in the north of Isabela Island, approximately 100 km from human populations. Its ecosystem it is home to the pink iguana 𝘊𝘰𝘯𝘰𝘭𝘰𝘱𝘩𝘶𝘴 𝘮𝘢𝘳𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘦, a species ende...

Press Release: Scientists from the Charles Darwin Foundation (CDF), the Saint Louis Zoo Institute for Conservation Medicine (ICM), the Research Center for Animal Health (INIA-CISA), the Complutense University, and the European University of Madrid, together with technicians from the Galapagos Nation...

At the end of October 2021, marked one year since the first fog catcher systems of the “Harvesting Water” Project were installed. The purpose of this initiative was to increase the amount of available fresh water, by means of encouraging sustainable livestock and agriculture on the islan...

Press release.- For the second year running the Charles Darwin Foundation (CDF) and the Galapagos National Park Directorate (GNPD) report that new individuals of the Little Vermilion Flycatcher have added to the critically endangered population on Santa Cruz Island. This is due to an ambitious exper...

We are ready to start our 2021 Christmas Bird Count. Annually, in December, the Charles Darwin Foundation prepares a citizen science activity that helps to know the status of populations of landbird species through a census that involves the community. For the last 6 years, and in collaboration with...

On December 2nd, 10.000 NFTs will be launched to help contribute to the conservation of the Galapagos Islands, and the Charles Darwin Foundation is thrilled to be taking part in this effort. The Enchanted Creatures Club (ECC) is a mostly Ecuadorian team of young developers and artists working toget...

Press release.- The 50th General Assembly meeting of the Charles Darwin Foundation for the Galapagos Islands (CDF) was held at the recently inaugurated Inspiration Complex from November 8th to 9th, 2021.  Board members, local and national authorities, scientists, staff, as well as special...

Press release.- On Sunday, November 7, we inaugurated the new Marine Research Center of the Charles Darwin Foundation (CDF). The Inspiration Complex is a renovated space located in what was formerly known as Biomar. During the event, our President, Hans Van Poelvoorde welcomed all the institut...

Ambassadors and diplomats from the European Union, with representation in Ecuador and the region visited Santa Cruz, to hold working meetings with several state organizations and institutions and to conduct a microplastic cleanup at Tortuga Bay beach. This will be part of their EU Beach Cleanup camp...

A CONSTANT SUPPORTER OF THE CHARLES DARWIN FOUNDATION David Balfour arrived in Galapagos in 1962, on his way to Australia – but he never left! Like so many people, he fell for the islands and made them his home. He arrived on board his small yacht “Lucent”, along with his sailing ...

On the 2nd of June to the 1st of July 2021, the Entrepreneurship Bootcamp was held, within the Coastal Fisheries Initiative – Challenge Fund Ecuador, a project implemented by the World Bank with the support of the Charles Darwin Foundation, and which was technically managed ty EDES (Business S...

The Charles Darwin Foundation is participating in the IUCN World Conservation Congress with the session titled Bioinvasions in the Eastern Tropical Pacific and the Galapagos Islands: a biosafety network initiative presented by our scientist Dr. Inti Keith, principal investigator of the Marine Invasi...

With approximately 60 people in attendance, the Charles Darwin Foundation (CDF) officially launched the first "Nuestras Raíces" (Our Roots) cookbook of traditional dishes from Isabela Island. The event was attended by CDF Executive Director Rakan Zahawi, International Affairs Coordinator Joha...

Oceans are key providers of ecosystem services (ES), provisioning environmental goods at global scale that underpin the livelihoods and wellbeing of entire populations. These ES range from providing food and raw materials, such as fish, sand, and rocks, to regulating vital biological and environment...

The Charles Darwin Foundation's (CDF) 62nd anniversary Open House was a total success. Approximately 500 people visited the Research Station's facilities to learn more about the ongoing projects that contribute to the Galapagos conservation. Explanation of the Marine Invasive Species Program. Photo...

The Charles Darwin Foundation (CDF) is preparing to welcome the Galapagos community to its 2021 Open House to commemorate our 62 years of institutional life. The Open House will have limited capacity and will be in compliance with all the biosecurity measures that we must still maintain. The project...

Enthusiasm, positive energy and good attitude are the most obvious characteristics that I notice when looking at the youths who are part of the "Shark Ambassadors", the Science Club of the Charles Darwin Foundation (CDF). This is a non-formal education project that aims to provide a learning space f...

Cassiopeia, the pregnant scalloped hammerhead shark tagged last February with a satellite transmitter at the Galapagos Marine Reserve, has reached the coasts of the Gulf of Panama, a known nursery area  for this species. After covering more than 4000km, Cassiopeia has provided the first round-t...

Press Release.- Scientists from the Charles Darwin Foundation (CDF), the Saint Louis Zoo Institute for Conservation Medicine (ICM), the Animal Health Research Center (INIA-CISA), the Complutense University, and the European University of Madrid, together with technicians from the Galapagos National ...

World Albatross Day, which is celebrated on June 19th each year, aims to highlight this species and draw the attention of governments, fishermen, researchers and the general public to the problems faced by these birds. It seeks to highlight possible solutions to these threats. The theme proposed by ...

Dedicated to one of AWF's pillars, Humankind and Nature, this fundraising campaign will support the CDF's Scalesia Forest Restoration Project, which aims to protect this unique habitat in the Galapagos Islands. The Scalesia forest is dominated by the endemic giant daisy tree Scalesia pedunculata an...

Isabela's recipe book "Our Roots" (Our Roots) will be officially launched on august 20th of 2021. The cookbook features twelve typical dishes of the island. It Is divided into three sections: four entrances , four main dishes and four desserts. The authors, high school students from Isabela with the...

It was a cloudy and rainy day shortly after 6 am, when Freddy Cabrera, Jose Haro and I met up at a bus stop in Puerto Ayora to make our way to the humid highlands of the island. As usual, our day revolved around tortoises, but instead of a long walk to reach nesting sites, we chose the comfort of to...

The Charles Darwin Research Station is recognized for its work in science and research. These qualities were precisely what, from a young age, made me interested in becoming part of this great family. I am currently a student at the Universidad Técnica Particular de Loja, studying a degree in...

---Press Release--- Researchers from the Charles Darwin Foundation (CDF) and the Scripps Institution of Oceanography of the University of California, San Diego, together with the Galapagos National Park Directorate (GNPD), revealed the results of the first archipelago-wide study about fish dive...

A coalition of groups, including a newly formed organization backed by actor Leonardo DiCaprio, have mobilized $43 million for efforts to restore degraded habitats in the Galápagos Islands, an archipelago renowned for its endemic species and central role in scientists’ understanding of ...

At the end of 2019, the CDF team on Isabela had a clear plan about the main education, sustainability and community outreach activities to be executed in 2020.However, March arrived and all of our plans, had to be postponed until further notice. It was not until June that the possibility of these ac...

Galapagos Research, formerly Noticias de Galápagos, is the research journal of the Charles Darwin Foundation for the Galapagos Islands (CDF). The journal is edited and supervised by Dr. Alan Tye, a member of the CDF General Assembly. Here we publish research articles, archived news items of i...

For the first time, scientists have documented in near real-time details of the migration of a critically endangered pregnant scalloped hammerhead shark (Sphyrna lewini) from the Galapagos Islands in Ecuador to Isla del Coco in Costa Rica, located over 700 km away. In an international collaboration...

The Charles Darwin Foundation for the Galapagos Islands (CDF) would like to extend its heartfelt condolences on the passing of His Royal Highness Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, on the 9th of April at the age of 99. His Royal Highness, Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, was a Patron of the CDF and...

If you visit one of the tourist ranches in the highlands of Santa Cruz, you would expect to find plenty of tortoises roaming around freely enjoying the well-manicured pastures. What you might not expect to find is a muddy researcher, crouched down in the bushes, diligently recording a tortoise&rsquo...

Science is creative, just as music, painting or theater. Science is also an expression of art . Scientists use their creativity and imagination to advance ideas and design research tools that can be applied to study different ecosystems. Particularly in the Galapagos, being creative is not only a qu...

Lecocarpus lecocarpoides was last seen eight years ago, and this temporary absence led us to believe that the population of this species on this island had suffered and was on the brink of extinction as only a few individuals remained on nearby islets. However, fortunately during a field trip in Nov...

--- Press Release --- The Board of Directors of the Charles Darwin Foundation has announced the appointment of Dr. Rakan (“Zak”) A. Zahawi as Executive Director of the Charles Darwin Foundation (CDF), effective March 1, 2021. As the chief executive officer, he will be responsible fo...

Almost a year ago, the Galapagos Tortoise Movement Ecology Programme began fieldwork testing a heat balance model for Galapagos giant tortoises. This model, presented by Nigel Blake, predicts the internal temperature range of tortoises and their metabolic rates based on a number of variables includi...

Introduced species represent the most important driver of biodiversity loss for oceanic islands (Brook, Sodhi and Bradshaw, 2008). Indeed, invasive species are the main threat for the ecological integrity of the unique marine and terrestrial ecosystems of the Galapagos (DPNG, 2014). We, the Marine I...

December arrives and is synonymous with birds, because in this month each year, the Charles Darwin Foundation (CDF) in collaboration with other institutions holds the "Christmas Bird Count". But, what is this initiative about? The "Christmas Bird Count" is an activity that began more than 100 years...

Working in the Marine Science Department (Bio-Mar) at the Charles Darwin Foundation (CDF) is a unique experience, full of learning and discoveries, where daily I get the chance to learn about, understand and identify marine invertebrates in the Galapagos Marine Reserve (RMG). When I started out as ...

The Charles Darwin Foundation's Education and Community Outreach Program (ECO Program) and the Communication and Outreach Center "MaxCine" of the Max Planck Institute of Animal Behavior have been holding virtual conferences through their education programs. The age group for both organizations is be...

“Try to be like the turtle, at ease in your own shell.”- Bill Copeland Humans are one of the most evolved and rationals beings on Earth, but there are some things that we can learn. In this blog I’m going to share with you a retrospective analysis of a fantastic and simple life. ...

Every year, between February and June, the "hot season" returns to Galapagos. It is during this time, as the haze clears away and the sun shines, that the vegetation mapping project team goes out to fly the drone. In mid-February 2020, the conditions were perfect for one of my favorite field trips: ...

I am pleased to share this blog to tell you what the art of fishing means to my family, my university experience and, my understanding of the importance of responsible management of the marine resources, as it is the livelihood of many “Galapagueñas” families like mine. My intenti...

--- Press Release --- This year’s General Assembly of the Charles Darwin Foundation (CDF) for the Galapagos, which took place on November 9 and 10, was conducted entirely virtually with the first morning open to the public, for the first time, through Facebook Live (https://bit.ly/3nhhyqk). De...

A documentary, Galapagos, Hope for the Future, was released on December 12th, 2019 at the Teatro Capitol in Quito, as part of the celebration of the sixtieth anniversary of the Charles Darwin Foundation (CDF). The film’s international premiere was in Amsterdam, the Netherlands on October 28th,...

Dear Friends and colleagues, It is our pleasure to present our 2019 Annual Report. As we prepared this year's results, the world is confronting unprecedented medical, economic, human, and environmental challenges.  Our thoughts and appreciation to CDF's donors, dedicated governance institutio...

The Galapagos Marine Reserve and Ocean Science for Sustainable Development is the theme of this year's 49th annual General Assembly of the Charles Darwin Foundation (CDF). This year it will be held on November 9 and 10, and due to the COVID19 pandemic, the meeting will be completely virtual. During...

---Press Release---Galapagos penguins (Spheniscus mendiculus) and Flightless cormorant (Phalacrocorax harrisi) are species that have long been studied in the Galapagos Islands. During the last three decades, monitoring of these populations has taken place in the west of the archipelago. The ecologi...

---Press Release--- The Charles Darwin Research Station (CDF) is now considered one of the best attractions in the Galapagos Islands. The CDF became one of the winners of the Travellers' Choice 2020 Award which was given out by TripAdvisor. This award is given out to the best destinations, airlines,...

On June 15, 2020, Paúl Mayorga and I set out to deliver fencing supplies and survey 240 endangered Opuntia tree cacti that had been planted on Española island over the last few years by the Galapagos Verde 2050 project (GV2050). We hadn’t been able to return to this island for te...

The contribution of the fishing sector to the economy and to human food has been widely documented. And during the COVID19 pandemic, it was no exception. This season, one of the most important activities and sectors, for the sustenance and food for the human population of Galapagos, has been the loc...

As a galapagueña, I am thrilled to be part of the Charles Darwin Foundation (CDF) and thus be able to help with the conservation of the Galapagos Islands. The project that studies sea turtles (Chelonia mydas) opened its doors to me two years ago, when I started as a field assistant. This is w...

---Press Release--- A team of international scientists have devised a new monitoring and reporting framework to help protect World Heritage Sites from almost 300 different invasive alien species globally, including, rats (Rattus spp.), cats (Felis catus), lantana (Lantana camara) and Argentine ants ...

--- Press Release --- In a symbolic and virtual event, complying with the biosecurity measures imposed by the country's health authorities in order to avoid the spread of COVID19, on the morning of the 15th of September 2020, a memorandum of understanding was signed between the Charles Darwin Founda...

--- Press Release --- A recent study by the World Wildlife Fund (WWF), involving several institutions, including the Charles Darwin Foundation (CDF), found that the number of fish in some tropical regions could decrease by 30% to 40% by 2100 from the impact of climate change. As a result, fishe...

Agriculture production started in Galapagos at the beginning of the 20th century and is now being practiced extensively on the four inhabited islands. Even so, there is limited information on the biodiversity of the agricultural areas. Most research in Galapagos so far has focused on the protected a...

-- Press Release -- The Charles Darwin Foundation (CDF) received on Monday, August 24th, 2020, vital laboratory equipment for the islands, made possible by a generous donation by Kristin Hettermann and Sven Lindblad to the Galapagos Community Relief Fund. Launched in March, the Galapagos Community ...

In March of this year, the Ecuadorian government declared a health emergency because of the pandemic caused by the COVID-19 virus. As in the rest of the world, this decision paralyzed most of the industries and economic production, in order to prevent the spread of the virus, thus avoiding massive i...

--- Press Release --- For the first time, scientists from the Charles Darwin Foundation, in collaboration with the Galapagos National Park Directorate, the Ocean Exploration Trust and an international team of deep-sea experts have discovered fragile coral and sponge communities hosting thirty deep-...

---Press release--- In early 2020 at Playa Tortuga Negra, Isabela Island, during the shortened field season as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, researches from the Charles Darwin Foundation (CDF) found 14 mangrove finch (Camarhynchus heliobates) breeding pairs, a slight increase from previous...

The Charles Darwin Foundation for the Galapagos Islands (CDF), in its 61 years of existence, has represented, in the best possible way, the search for scientific knowledge in the Galapagos Islands. For this reason, we wanted to commemorate this anniversary by taking a trip to Galapagos and CDF&rsquo...

Only having been settled by humans since early 20th century, the Galapagos islands harbor some of the most intact natural communities in the world. However, these islands have nonetheless faced impacts from human development and introduced species which now threaten the integrity of these ecosystems...

For the first time, scientists have observed a broadnose sevengill shark Notorynchus cepedianus and bluntnose sixgill Hexanchus griseus in the deep waters of the Galápagos Marine Reserve (GMR) off the northern coast of Floreana and Española. Both species were confirmed by elasmobranch...

--- Press Release --- The Japanese Association for Galapagos (日本ガラパゴスの会 JAGA) and Una Gotita del Colibrí Project, donated 150 boxes of food on Isabela Island and 100 food kits on Santa Cruz Island to vulnerable families in the Galapagos community, which have been affected by the economic cris...

A piece of rock, an octopus and a piece of bone could be considered simple objects for most people. However, for those working in the Natural History Collections of the Charles Darwin Foundation (CDF), a piece of rock could explain the volcanic origin of the Galapagos islands; an octopus is part of ...

Immerse yourself in a new adventure guided by the green sea turtles (Chelonia mydas) of the Galapagos Marine Reserve, and explore with us their exciting and intriguing lives.Our scientists are working on a project that aims to reduce the threat of boat strikes on Green Turtles in Galapagos. As part ...

We can all support the science generation. Before graduating from Visual Arts I never thought I would be able to work alongside scientists in their field studies at the most pristine corners of the Galapagos Islands. But conservation could start with our every-day habits at home and end up becoming ...

On the 19th of June, we celebrated World Albatross Day for the first time. The date has been chosen by Agreement on the conservation of Albatross and Petrels, ACAP, to honor these magnificent birds and to highlight the current conservation crisis that threatens them. Galapagos albatross on the Espa...

Today, it is believed species go extinct across the globe without their existence having ever been discovered (Lees & Pimm, 2015). This could have easily been the story of Galvezia leucantha var. leucantha, whose population was discovered in 1967 (Wiggins, 1968; Jaramillo et al., 2018). However ...

--- Press release --- Surveys of the Little Vermilion Flycatcher on Santa Cruz Island carried out by scientists from the Charles Darwin Foundation (CDF) and park rangers from the Galapagos National Park Directorate (GNPD), found that six chicks have fledged their nests and joined the existing popula...

--Press Release -- The Charles Darwin Foundation donated 200 protective suits to the Galapagos National Park Directorate, to support efforts to mitigate the health emergency due to Covid-19.These supplies were delivered on the 2nd of June, directly to the director of the Galapagos National Park, Mgs...

For World Ocean Day 2020, we want you to bring the ocean home!  The sea is the biggest ecosystem in the whole world, and humans depend greatly on it. However, the oceans are facing many underlying challenges and problems. Are you able to identify these problems and capture them in a creative w...

1. Support the protection of 30% of the ocean in Marine Protected Areas by 2030 by signing this petition: https://www.campaignfornature.org/ #Campaignfornature Photo by: Joshua Vela Fonseca, CDF.   2. Reduce your plastic usage Photo by: Jackeline Rodríguez, CDF. The more plastic you...

In March 2020, the Natural History Collections joined the Galápagos Verde 2050 project team to collect specimens on the island of Baltra and help plant endemic species. Together, we contribute towards research for biodiversity conservation of the Galapagos Islands. I arrived at the Galapagos...

--Press Release-- On May 16th 2020, the Charles Darwin Foundation (CDF) donated sixteen hospital mattresses to the Municipality of Santa Cruz and distributed food kits to 200 vulnerable families in the mainland Ecuador and on Santa Cruz Island. CDF made this donation to help mitigate the impact...

Monitoring and cleaning an installation of water-saving technology at a tourist site on Santa Cruz island. Alberto Mena (left) & Rebecca Selfridge Ditgen (right). Photo: Felipe Cornejo. I am nearing the end of six months of volunteering for the Galapagos Verde 2050 (GV2050) project. I&rsquo...

--- Press Release --- The Charles Darwin Foundation has donated personal protective equipment, including N95 masks to local institutions in Galapagos to help in the fight against Covid-19. These supplies arrived at Baltra airport on Friday, May 8th, and were formally handed over today to the Galapa...

--- Press Release --- A recent publication in the scientific journal Nature Climate Change, a global reference for climate change studies, suggested that the enchanted islands can be a natural laboratory, ideal for understanding this threat and implementing innovative solutions to address ...

To honor our commitment with Ecoventura for conservation, we embarked on the M/V Galapagos Sky from February 23-29, 2020, initiating a new project: sea temperature monitoring in the Galapagos Marine Reserve to evaluate the effects of c...

Pieces of chinaware, glass bottles, pottery jugs... Those and other artifacts make up the Colección Maruri, an archaeological collection currently housed at the Library & Archive of the Charles Darwin Research Station. They are the evidence of human occupation in Galapagos since at least ...

Thank you all for your suggestions for the name of one of our newborn Galapagos giant tortoises. For those who missed it, we welcomed the latest Galapagos giant tortoise newborns in early March. There were 9 born in total, and to celebrate we invite you to help us in naming one of them. Newborn to...

---News--- ‘Sustainability’ is a notion that many sectors of the society, market and states, at global scale, are taking seriously, from varied standpoints. Research, industry, science, decision and policy making, education, innovation are all, integrating this notion in current practice...

Three years have passed since the institutional presence of the Charles Darwin Foundation (CDF) on Isabela was resumed in January 2017. During this time, we have gradually consolidated our presence on the island, largely thanks to the hiring of a coordinator, who acts as the main contact and represe...

In the humid highlands of Santa Cruz Island, just north of the village of Bellavista, a dirt road meanders through coffee and sugarcane farms before coming to a dead end at the trailhead to Media Luna, named for the half-moon shaped volcanic crater that stands guard over the park entrance. Here lies...

-- Press Release -- The Charles Darwin Foundation for the Galapagos Islands (CDF) has donated two ventilators to the Republic of Ecuador Hospital on Santa Cruz Island in order to contribute to the efforts of the Governing Council of Galapagos (CGREG) and the Municipality of Santa Cruz to address the...

The following is a creative depiction of what Galapagos could be like in the year 2050, written from the perspective of someone at that time. Though we find ourselves in a global crisis with the COVID-19 pandemic, we have not lost hope in a bright future. Our vision holds a positive and realistic vi...

We hope this note finds you, your loved ones and community well. Since the streets of Puerto Ayora on Santa Cruz Island went silent two weeks ago and our staff moved offices to the safety of their homes, the authorities have been working tirelessly to implement necessary precautions ...

On March 5 2020, we welcomed the latest giant Galapagos tortoise newborns. There were 9 born in total in that nest, and to celebrate we would like to invite you to help us in naming one of them.  Newborn tortoise. Photo by: Ainoa Nieto, CDF As is common with tortoises, we won't know the s...

 Libraries are one of the pillars of education and professional development. They are essential for creating literate, well-informed, and empowered communities by providing relevant, updated knowledge, while at the same time keeping the social memory and cultural knowledge safe. In the Galapa...

As President of the Board of Directors of the Charles Darwin Foundation, I write to share our concern and gratitude for you during this unprecedented and rapidly changing global crisis. We hope you are taking good care to protect yourself, your loved ones and your community. Our supporters and partn...

In August of 2019, the first technical dive expedition for scientific research was carried out in the Galapagos. We were accompanied by Monty Halls and a film crew who wanted to capture this unique expedition, which you can see featured in the documentary “My Family and the Galapagos”. T...

The Charles Darwin Foundation would like to announce that Dr. Arturo Izurieta will no longer continue as Executive Director at the end of his contract period on March 31, 2020. Since 2015, Dr. Izurieta has guided the Charles Darwin Foundation through a crucial period of its 60-year history. Under h...

Scientists from the Charles Darwin Foundation, working with the sharks ecology project, in collaboration with the Galapagos National Park Directorate (GNPD), the University of the Azores (Portugal) and the Nova Southeastern University (USA), have recently deployed, for the first time, towed satellit...

-- Press Release -- The Charles Darwin Foundation (FCD) and the Ecuadorian Society for Statistics (ESS), with the support from the Galapagos National Park Directorate (GNPD) and the Agency for the Regulation and Control of Telecommunications (Arcotel), organised the first training course coveri...

Today we celebrate the birthday and history of the ‘Father of Evolution’.  Charles Darwin was an English naturalist who changed the way humans viewed themselves and the world around them through his amazing ideas on evolution and natural selection. When he visited the Galapagos ...

--Press Release-- The age of the oldest penguin in the Galapagos Island has been recently discovered by scientists at the Charles Darwin Foundation, who were working with the Galapagos National Park Directorate on Isabella Island. The penguins age is 17.7 years old. This female penguin was firs...

--Press Release-- On the 12th of December, during an event at the Capitol Theatre in Quito, the premier for the documentary Galapagos, hope for the Future was screened. Over 250 guests were attended the event. Representatives of the Chancellery of Ecuador, embassies and diplomatic bodies, as well as...

--Press Release-- On the 6th of December, the Charles Darwin Foundation (CDF) for the Galapagos Islands received the Gran Collar San Francisco Award, due to its hard work of 60 years in the construction of knowledge and preservation of the Columbus Archipelago, also known as the Galapagos Islands. ...

We joined the guests of the M/V Galapagos Sky to share the marine research we do at the CDF and our deep involvement with the conservation of the marine reserve of this World Heritage Site. Approximately two years ago, ‘The Galapagos Biodiversity and the Education for Sustainability Fund&rsqu...

Every year in November, the Charles Drawin Foundation hold a meeting for the General Assembly, which is the governeing body of the Charles Darwin Foundation (CDF). This year the meetings were held in Galapagos, lasting from the 9th of November to the 11th , at the Research Station located in Puerto ...

For the fourth consecutive year the Charles Darwin Foundation and the Galapagos National Park Directorate are seeking the involvement of the community of Galapagos in the “Christmas Bird Count”, which aims to monitor the population status of the most emblematic landbirds of the islands. ...

Beautiful images of rarely seen sea-floor creatures are surfacing from the mesophotic or the “twilight” zone of Galapagos Marine Reserve (GMR). To explore this low-light zone between 40m to 150m, we at the Seamount Research Project from the Charles Darwin Foundation are now utilizing a n...

-- Press release -- Green turtles and sea lions are the main prey for large tiger sharks in the Galapagos Marine Reserve (GMR), shows a new study by a group of scientists from the Charles Darwin Foundation (CDF) and the Galapagos Science Center of the University San Francisco de Quito, along with ...

--Press Release-- This is the first documentary about the Charles Darwin Foundations and the work of the Galapagos National Park. As part of its 60th anniversary of scientific research within the Galapagos Archipelago, the Charles Darwin Foundation (CDF) attended the premiere of the documentary, Ga...

The Charles Darwin foundation has just released a new way for people to quickly identify introduced and invasive terrestrial invertebrates. This blog explains in detail how the idea was realized and what it can be used for. Final draft of the poster presented by: Andrea Acurio (left), FCD Terrestri...

At the Charles Darwin Foundation, we firmly believe that education is the key to environmental conservation and sustainability. We know that education and outreach are essential to the success of Galapagos conservation. We are aware that educating and providing new experiences, standards and resourc...

At the end of last year, during a pilot study using a remotely operated vehicle (ROV) to explore seamounts in in the Galapagos Marine Reserve, we discovered a kelp forest! In this article, we share more details about the day of discovery and about kelp in the Galapagos. What was meant to be our fin...

It has been ten years since the Galapagos Tortoise Movement Ecology Programme (GTMEP) started to research the migration of giant tortoises, how migration affects tortoise health and reproduction, and the effects of anthropogenic environmental change on migration. At the end of July, a group of scien...

As part of the 60th anniversary of the Charles Darwin Research Station, on Friday August 2nd, we were invited to present a selection of photographs about the biodiversity of the Galapagos Islands at the exhibit “Galapagos: Laboratory of Biodiversity” organized by the Socio-Environmental ...

A team of staff members lead by our Executive Director, Arturo Izurieta, traveled to San Francisco, in California, from 23rd to 26th of July, to work with the Science and communications teams of the California Academy of Sciences, and to actively participate in the Nightlife at the Academy event. Th...

Galapagos Report is a compilation of articles covering topics in human systems, tourism, biodiversity and ecosystem restoration, and marine management of Galapagos and its Marine Reserve. This document provides information on biophysical and socioeconomic aspects in Galapagos for decision-makers, t...

Months ago we received the visit of Alison Teal at our Research Station in Puerto Ayora. Alison is known as the female Indiana Jones of Time magazine. She travels the world in search of the myths, mysteries and legends of the land. Her special feature is the hat she wears and the pink color that is ...

Typically, marine reserves are strictly “no-take areas”, but anyone who has visited the Galapagos Marine Reserve (GMR) will know, it’s not a typical area. Unique challenges call for unique solutions, and the fisheries project at the Charles Darwin Research Station (CDRS) has employ...

Today is our 60th Birthday and we want to say thank you! For six decades hundreds of scientists, researchers, and volunteers from across the world have participated in helping protect, manage and maintain the unique ecosystems and conservation of the Galapagos and the World. Without support from a...

The ecological gardens established Galápagos Verde 2050 (GV2050) of the Charles Darwin Foundation at various points in the islands populated in the archipelago, are not just another green space. Working as a team allows us to create beautiful and well-tendered gardens with local students. The...

After three years of incredibly successful fundraising efforts to contribute to the scientific research and conservation of the blue-footed boobies in the Galapagos, Will Gladstone was finally able to visit the Charles Darwin Research Station and learn about research and conservation work first-hand...

Thanks to an initiative led by the British Embassy in Quito and Atlantic Productions, virtual glasses with the short "Galapagos Adventure" will be available for the month of July and August in Galapagos in our Research Station. Galapagos Adventure is a new virtual reality experience that will arriv...

The Charles Darwin Foundation (CDF) and Galapagos National Park Directorate (GNPD) team are back from two months of fieldwork in a remote part of Isabela Island, a small patch of mangrove forest nestled between harsh lava fields reached by a six hour boat ride from Santa Cruz Island. This is the onl...

In celebration of the 60th anniversary of the creation of the Galapagos National Park and the Charles Darwin Foundation for the Galapagos Islands, we invite the community to the INTERNATIONAL SYMPOSIUM - 60 YEARS OF CONSERVATION AND SCIENCE IN GALAPAGOS, which will take place on Tuesday 2nd and Wedn...

The deep-sea is the largest biome on Earth, made up of marine habitats that exist below 200 m. This unexplored space is a heterogeneous landscape with underwater mountains, oceanic pits, marine caves as well as hypersaline and anoxic (low oxygen) environments (Duarte, 2006). Deep-sea habitats sustai...

"I want to keep flying" (Quiero seguir volando in Spanish) is the campaign being carried out in the Galapagos Islands to reduce the number of birds that die on the road due to vehicle impacts. The campaign was launched in Puerto Ayora, Santa Cruz, in April 2019 by the Charles Darwin Research Station...

At the beginning of 2019 I received some great news for my birthday; I was awarded a small grant from The Rufford Foundation to conduct an exciting hammerhead shark research project in the Galapagos Islands! The objective of this project was to determine the feeding ecology of the endangered scallop...

Historical photographic records show a clear deterioration of the Opuntia echios forests on South Plaza island. The breakdown of ecological integrity on South Plaza is why the Galapagos Verde 2050 project (GV2050) works to restore this cactus population, using water-saving technology to accelerate t...

Sophie is a 9-year-old girl from Switzerland that was inspired by the story of Lonesome George in her first trip to the Galapagos Islands two years ago and wanted to make a difference so that the planet does not lose any more species.  Sophie at the Charles Darwin Research Station in Galapagos...

The Charles Darwin Foundation presented the document “Alert on the state of conservation of the natural capital of Galapagos Islands” to his board members. This technical report expresses the institutional position of the Darwin Foundation in relation to the current situation of the most...

On the 5th of March of 2019, a team made up of members of the Charles Darwin Foundation (CDF), Conservation International (CI), and the Galapagos National Park Directorate(DPNG, for its Spanish acronym) embarked upon an expedition on the scientific vessel, Queen Mabel, for the Subtidal Marine Ecolog...

For children all over the world, their first exposure to Sharks is seeing bloodthirsty monsters ripping into carcasses and seeing scuba divers narrowly avoiding their snapping jaws on programs like Shark Week. Yet every year, hundreds of thousands of people travel to the Galapagos, a World Heri...

On February 7th and 8th, the Charles Darwin Research Station held the international Workshop on Advances in the Search for Solutions for the Control of the Avian Parasite Philornis downsi and for the conservation of Galapagos landbirds. The event was attended by national and international experts w...

The California Academy of Sciences (CAS) has a deep-rooted research history in the Galapagos. For decades, these islands have been visited by scientists and visitors as a living laboratory of evolution. The first expedition of scientists from the California Academy of Sciences was in 1905, the Acade...

In 2019, the Charles Darwin Foundation (CDF) celebrates its Diamond Anniversary. Since its creation on the 23rd of July 1959, it has produced thousands of scientific research results for the conservation of the archipelago and has provided advise to the Galapagos National Park Directorate among othe...

Between October and December 2018, more than 1000 students from Santa Cruz, Isabela and San Cristobal Islands have participated in the "Marine Mornings" initiative of the Charles Darwin Research Station, one of the components of our Marine Education Project that takes place in Galapagos with the par...

Scientists from the Charles Darwin Foundation (CDF), the National Autonomous University of Mexico, Arizona State University and the Geneva Botanical Gardens recently discovered a great diversity of "beard lichen" species belonging to Usnea genus in the Galapagos Islands. Until before the publicatio...

Growing up in the center of Guayaquil, the largest city in Ecuador, I spent my days surrounded by colorful buses, honking cars and taxis screeching to a hault at the line. I remember how much I wanted the weekend to start, and convince my parents to go to the beach. Just drink coconut water on a war...

On Isabela Island in the Galapagos, the need to implement environmental education initiatives was identified as a high priority due to the lack of these types of initiatives in the curriculums of the educational centers. This article describes the story and results of the first environmental educati...

Our 2017-2018 Annual Report has been released. It features work we do to provide knowledge and assistance through scientific research to ensure the conservation in Galapagos. This document provides an overview of all projects implemented by the Charles Darwin Foundation (CDF) in Galapagos during 201...

Giant tortoises have disappeared from almost every corner of the world, and currently, they are the most threatened group of vertebrates according to El Comercio. Although it might sound bizarre, this kind of reptile once inhabited several continents. However, an IBS special issue corroborates the r...

November 2018 has been one of the most exciting and challenging months I have experienced working as a marine scientist at the Charles Darwin Foundation. The month was filled with a lot of firsts, for me – I lead ocean-going research expeditions in the Galapagos, piloted remotely operated vehi...

For the third consecutive year, the Charles Darwin Foundation and the Galapagos National Park Directorate, are organizing an annual Christmas Bird Count in Galapagos. The goal of this campaign is to involve the community in the scientific research and monitoring that is being carried out to evaluate...

This year, thanks to the support of the Lindblad Expeditions - National Geographic Fund, we are carrying out a project to change attitudes towards marine pollution through the construction of a sculpture which will be created with plastics collected from beach clean-ups.  The concept of the ins...

My story began as a volunteer with the Galapagos Verde 2050 project, from the Charles Darwin Foundation, which has now entered its second phase and has as a new aim towards rural ecological restoration. The goal that has been proposed with the leadership of Dr. Patricia Jaramillo, leader of the Gala...

Hans van Poelvoorde MSc, has been elected President of the Charles Darwin Foundation (CDF) following the retirement of Dennis Geist after seven years as President and ten years on the Board of Directors. The XLVII General Assembly meeting of CDF took place at the Charles Darwin Research Statio...

When living in an archipelago, it is common to think that all people visit the beach frequently, that they swim or that they snorkel as many of the people who visit the islands to get to know one of the most pristine places in the world. However, the reality in the Galapagos Islands is different. Th...

The Ecological Monitoring Program was developed to provide the Galapagos National Park Directorate (GNPD) with a complete description of this community and to provide information on the dynamics and magnitude of the fluctuations of this biota through space and time and incorporate natural and anthro...

On 12th September 2018, a team from Charles Darwin Foundation (CDF) project, Galapagos Verde 2050 (GV2050) with the collaboration of the Giant Tortoise Restoration Initiative (GTRI), implemented by Galapagos Conservancy and the Galapagos National Park Directorate, travelled on an expedition to Espa&...

The Galapagos Biodiversity and Education for Sustainability Fund (GBESF) was created in 2017 by the Charles Darwin Foundation (CDF) and Ecoventura. CDF is a non-profit organization that provides knowledge and technical assistance through scientific research to the Galapagos National Park Directorate...

A new exhibit at the Charles Darwin Research Station in the Van Straelen Interpretation Center has been re-opened with the “Marine World” themed display after 18 years. Thanks to the support of Save Our Seas Foundation, we painted the walls, designed new information panels, made artifact...

The Charles Darwin Foundation (CDF) and World Wildlife Fund Inc. (WWF) wish to recognize the extraordinary support received from people and institutions, who have contributed in a significant way to both the execution of our programs and projects, and our organizational development. In addition, man...

Last July, members of the Galapagos Tortoise Movement Ecology Programme (GTMEP) spent a week in Alcedo Volcano, one of the biggest volcanoes of the Galapagos Islands and home of the largest population of giant tortoises. Our main goals were to collect the telemetry data from the 11 tortoises with ou...

Puerto Santa Ana in Guayaquil was the venue for the fifth edition of the event that every each year strives to connect, exhibit and reward the best social-environmental projects of this region: Latinoamerica Verde Awards (Green Latin America Awards). This year, the event included 2,7...

Today we had the honor of celebrating the life of our friend and partner of so many years, Felipe Cruz Bedón, who died in Chile on August 9, 2018.    In a ceremony that took place at the Charles Darwin Research Station during this afternoon, his son Rashid Cruz Chesney, his mother ...

Is with deep regret The Charles Darwin Foundation, its Board of Directors, Members of its General Assembly, staff members and volunteers send this note about the death of our friend and colleague, and ex Vice Director, Mr. Felipe Hernán Cruz Bedon which took place in Chile on the 9th of Augus...

When people ask me, why do you love plants? The answer is easy: “plants are at the base of the trophic chain, meaning they are crucial for the ecosystems”, and having so many endangered species around the world for different causes is highly concerning. Therefore, I am trying to contribu...