
Exploring the Galapagos twilight zone with new ROVs
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 new...
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Scientists investigates tiger sharks' diet in Galapagos
-- 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...
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The Charles Darwin Foundation Presents the Documentary: Galapagos, Hope for the Future
--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,...
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A new tool to identify introduced and invasive insects at the Galapagos Islands
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...
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Felipe Cruz Scholarship contributes to the training of park rangers in Galapagos
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...
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The day we discovered the kelp forest in the Galapagos
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...
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Tortoises of Española island, Galapagos: The survivors
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...
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Biodiversity of Galapagos exhibited in Quito
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 Policy...
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Galapagos Research Station team collaborating at California Academy of Sciences
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...
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New Galapagos Report
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,...
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Alison´s Adventures visits Galapagos
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...
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Tracking tuna for a sustainable fishery in Galapagos
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 employed a new...
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Celebrating the 60th Anniversary of the Charles Darwin Foundation
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...
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Ecological gardens in Galápagos: Inspiring future generations
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...
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Inspired by the Blue-Footed Boobies to Contribute to the Conservation of Galapagos
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...
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New virtual reality experience "Galapagos Adventure"
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...
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Chicks fledge against all odds for the rarest bird in Galapagos - Season 2019
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...
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International Symposium: 60 Years of Conservation and Science in Galapagos
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...
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Investigating the Mysterious Beings that Live in Galapagos’ Deep-sea
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...
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Galapagos launches campaign to reduce bird deaths on roads
"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...
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What’s on a Hammerhead Shark Menu at the Galapagos Islands?
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...
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Galapagos Verde 2050: Bringing ecological integrity back to South Plaza
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...
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Small Actions making a Great Impact for the Conservation of Galapagos
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. She...
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Charles Darwin Foundation issues Alert on Galapagos conservation status
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...
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Expedition for the Subtidal Marine Ecological Monitoring of the Galapagos Marine Reserve sailed in March 2019
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...
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Tiger Sharks: Predation at the highest order and its relationship with Galapagos
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...
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Identifying strategies against a bio-invasion in Galapagos: the parasitic fly Philornis downsi
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...
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The California Academy of Sciences Expedition to Galapagos 2019
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...
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60 years of Science in Galapagos
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...
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Marine Mornings Program for Schools in Galapagos
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...
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4 new species of lichen discovered in Galapagos
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...
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Gap Year and Volunteering in Marine Projects in Galapagos
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...
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Sustainable Community Project in the Galapagos
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...
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2017-2018 Annual Report Launch
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...
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Seven days at Alcedo Volcano
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...
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Exploring the “Bajos” or Shallow Seamounts of the Galapagos Marine Reserve
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 vehicles...
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Annual Christmas Bird Count in Galapagos
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...
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Changing Attitudes towards Plastic Pollution through art projects in Galapagos
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...
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Galapagos Verde 2050: Recovering endemic and native flora in rural farms
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...
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Charles Darwin Foundation Board of Directors has a new President
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 Station...
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Exploring Marine Ecosystems with the Local Community
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....
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Subtidal Ecological Monitoring Program in the Galapagos Marine Reserve
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...
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Life re-emerging! Galápagos Verde 2050: Cacti recovering on remote islands
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...
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Science and tourism joining forces for the conservation of Galapagos
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...
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Marine World Exhibit Opens in Celebration of World Oceans Day in Galapagos
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 artifacts of...
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First Atlas of the Native and Invasive Species of the Galapagos Islands
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,...
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Science and Conservation at the Edge of a Volcano in Galapagos
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...
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Galapagos Project Finalist of the Green Latinamerican Awards 2018
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 2,733 initiatives...
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Celebrating Felipe Cruz's life in Galapagos
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 Emma Bedón, his...
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Felipe Cruz Bedón, leaves an immense gap in Galapagos
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 August...
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Taking care of very important baby plants
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 contribute to...
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Humans in the Galápagos Islands
The community in the Galapagos Islands is of great relevance in the research programs of the Charles Darwin Foundation (CDF). It is also of relevance for the natural conservation of the archipelago. Humans extract, take, protect and manage the natural resources that offer this paradise. Therefore,...
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We’ve been on Isabela for 1.5 Years!
The Executive Directorate of the Charles Darwin Foundation identified in 2016 that it was a necessity to spread the mission of the Foundation on the different populated areas of the archipelago. For this reason, since January 2017, there is Liaison Coordinator on Isabela who has served as a...
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The Critically Endangered Mangrove Finch: A New Conservation Strategy in Galapagos
Written with the support of Francesca Cunninghame . The Mangrove Finch is a Critically Endangered species that is found only in a small mangrove forest on Isabela Island and it is currently highly threatened by an invasive parasitic fly called Philornis downsi . The larvae of this fly can often...
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Between Boom and Bust Cycles: How Much are Galapagos Mangroves Worth?
I remember my first exposure to local conservation efforts in Ecuador; I must have been 9 years old, and passing by the mangrove trees still standing on the outskirts of Guayaquil, where a big sign read “Manglar es vida” Spanish for “Mangroves are life”. At this time, the shrimp farming industry...
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Conserving the Galapagos Islands with Ecoventura
This article was co-written by Salomé Buglass . Approximately a year ago, a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) was signed between the Ecuadorian tour-company, Ecoventura, and the Charles Darwin Foundation (CDF) and which produced ‘The Galapagos Biodiversity and Education for Sustainability Fund’...
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Irenäus Eibl-Eibesfeldt’s Role in the Conservation of Galapagos
We regret to inform that on Saturday June 2nd, 2018 one of our founding members Dr. Irenäus Eibl-Eibesfeldt passed away at the age of 89 in Starnberg, Germany. He was an honorary member of our General Assembly and a very active supporter of conservation efforts in Galapagos. In fact, it was due to...
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Monitoring sharks in the mid-Pacific: a journey to the sharkiest place in the world
A long-dreamed opportunity for any biologist, I finally found my way to the Galápagos Islands last March. On the second week of my new position at the research station of the Charles Darwin Foundation, we embarked on a week-long field trip to the north of the archipelago: the islands of Darwin and...
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Intercultural exchange between Japan and Galápagos
The Charles Darwin Foundation (CDF), with the support of the Boninology Institute, the Japanese Association for Galápagos (JAGA) and several collaborators and authorities from Japan, carried out a student exchange program between the Galápagos and the Ogasawara Islands in Japan. The Ogasawara...
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Population recovery of Galvezia leucantha var. leucantha on Isabela Island
Historic records from the 1970s and 80s showed that the population number of Galvezia leucantha var. leucantha (an endemic subspecies of snapdragon) drastically declined on Isabela Island because of herbivory by introduced animals such as goats and rats (Wiggins & Porter, 1971; Tye & Jäger, 2000;...
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Invasive Parasitic Fly Attacks the Galapagos Martin
The Galapagos martin ( Progne modesta ) is an endemic species, which means it is only found on the archipelago. Due to its low numbers, it is categorized as an endangered species by the International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN). However, very little is known about its biology and...
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SERC and CDF: United for Galapagos
We are very pleased to announce a new partnership between The Charles Darwin Foundation for the Galapagos Islands and the Smithsonian Environmental Research Center. A Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) was signed on January 9th, 2018, which has the goal of conducting collaborative research to...
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3D Expedition to Darwin and Wolf
A team of expert scientists embarked on the M/V Queen Mabel this April to Darwin and Wolf to conduct surveys and asses the current state of the coral reefs of the northern part of the archipelago and continue the research on marine invasive species in the Galapagos Marine Reserve (GMR). The Marine...
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Underwater Cameras to Study Sharks in the Galapagos Islands
Written in collaboration with: Pelayo Salinas de León. Since 2013, the Charles Darwin Research Station’s shark team, in collaboration with the Galapagos National Park Directorate, have conducted three annual trips to Darwin and Wolf to study sharks: one during the warm season, another during the...
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Travel with Ecoventura & Support Galapagos Conservation
Do you want to visit Galapagos and help conserve the archipelago? The Ecuadorian tour-company, Ecoventura, joined forces with the Charles Darwin Foundation (CDF) in 2017 to help preserve the Enchanted Islands. Every year, Ecoventura tries to raise at least $150,000 for ‘The Galapagos Biodiversity...
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My Experience Rearing Flies in Galapagos
When I first arrived in the Galapagos Islands in mid-2013, I was thrilled to have the opportunity to do an internship with the Charles Darwin Foundation (CDF). As odd as it sounds, I was involved in reproducing and raising an invasive fly in captivity. The particular fly we were working with,...
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Hope for the Critically-Endangered Mangrove Finch
The Mangrove Finch ( Camarhynchus heliobates ), one of Darwin’s iconic finches, is a bird species found only in the dense mangrove forests of the western Galapagos Islands. At one time, these birds were found on two Galapagos Islands, Fernandina and Isabela. Today, primarily due to threats from...
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A New Shark Educational Exhibit in Progress in the Galapagos Islands
With more than 80,000 visitors annually, the Charles Darwin Research Station (CDRS) is one of the most visited places by tourists in the Galapagos Islands. The Van Straelen Interpretation Center, part of the visit to our Research Station, is a space where different exhibits about Galapagos have...
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Ecological Restoration in Action: Plaza Sur, a Thorny Surprise
Between July and September 2017, the Galapagos Verde 2050 (#GV 2050) team, together with the entomology team of the Charles Darwin Foundation and park guards from the Galapagos National Park Directorate carried out ecological monitoring of the Opuntia echios var. echios seedlings present on the...
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Reducing the Threat of a Parasitic Fly on Galapagos Landbirds
On February 15, members of two multi-country working groups attended a workshop hosted by the Charles Darwin Foundation (CDF) and the Galapagos National Park Directorate (GNPD) to share updates on research to conserve Darwin’s finches and other Galapagos landbirds and protect them from their...
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Women Working in Science and Conservation
Today we pay homage to all the women who work for science and conservation in Galapagos. All departments, including Science, Administration and Executive Management, depend on an incredible team of women who work for the conservation of these fragile islands. They are a clear example of women who...
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Birds and Flies: A Conservation Challenge
Scientific knowledge about Galapagos land birds is imperative for their survival. How many land birds are there in Galapagos and where are they found? In which ways does the parasitic Philornis downsi fly affect the archipelago’s bird populations and what can we do to save them? Twenty years after...
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A Galapagos Youth and Her Passion for Conservation
The scholarships at the Charles Darwin Foundation help train talented students from Galapagos. Patricia Isabela Tapia, a 20-year-old Galapagos youth, is currently following her passion and studying abroad. After participating in a challenging selection process that gives scholarships to two...
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Dr. Heinke Jäger Receives Recognition for her Research in Galapagos
The Santa Cruz Municipality in the Galapagos Islands, in the Session of the 9th of February 2018, unanimously resolved to award Dr. Heinke Jäger the SCIENTIFIC MERIT RECOGNITION for her work in the Biodiversity of Galápagos, and her recommendations for the sustainable management of resources of...
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New Website for Science and Conservation in Galapagos
Today, February 12th, is a very special day for the Galapagos islands, and the Charles Darwin Foundation (CDF). Not only was it Charles Darwin’s birthday in 1809, but it was also the day in which the archipelago was officially incorporated into Ecuador’s national territory in 1832. There couldn’t...
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Solving a Question of Sustainability by Studying the Ear Bones of Galapagos Fish
Fisheries technician Solange Andrade-Vera sits in the lab of the marine sciences building at the Charles Darwin Foundation (CDF), intent on her work. In one hand, she holds a small white object glued to a glass slide. With the other, she presses a small piece of special sandpaper, known as lapping...
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Experience and Fun, a Successful Tool to Learn about Sharks in the Galapagos Islands
The first time we met with our Shark Ambassadors group in 2017 at the Charles Darwin Research Station (CDRS), they looked curious about the activities we were about to develop. I remember asking all of them why they chose this program instead of the other options they had and some of them told me...
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The CDF Collections Make the Leap Into the Digital World
Many programs have been started with a goal to provide the best access to existing taxonomic information, but arguably the most important began in 1994 under the auspices of the United Nations with the creation of the BIN 21 network, now known as the GBIF (Global Biodiversity Information Network)....
Read morePlanning for a Climate-Change-Resilient Galapagos Marine Reserve
When I first moved to the Galapagos to begin my position as marine ecologist at the Charles Darwin Foundation (CDF) a year ago, I was in disbelief each time I went snorkelling. Seeing tropical corals and parrot fish, sea lions and sub-Antarctic penguins all sharing the same coastal habitat was...
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Workshop: Climate Change Priorities for the Galapagos Marine Reserve
The Charles Darwin Foundation (CDF), a non-for-profit research institution that for almost 60 years has been the official scientific advisor to the Ecuadorian government, will be hosting a world-class International Climate Change Workshop at the iconic Charles Darwin Research Station. From the 25...
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Galapagos Shark Ambassadors in Action!
Take motivated students, add the ocean surrounding us, and you have the perfect combination to conduct conservation work. When you are at the beach, have you ever lifted a rock to find out what is under it? Or, have you touched sand to know if there is life there? Or, have you realized that there...
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We Announce Partial Scholarships for Locals of Galapagos
As part of its mission, the Charles Darwin Foundation is proud to announce the launch of two partial University scholarships for local students of Galápagos with an excellent academic background. The locals can conduct their studies in areas related to conservation of ecosystems and...
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Alien invasion research to protect the Galapagos Islands
An international research team has identified the pathways that more than 1,500 alien species have taken to the Galápagos Islands, which will help to protect the UNESCO World Heritage-listed area from future threats. The study, led by Charles Darwin University PhD candidate Veronica Toral-Granda...
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Volcanic Eruption in Galapagos Islands
Fernandina Volcano began erupting on September 4 2017, at about 18:25 UTC (12:25 local time). This is not very surprising, because Fernandina erupts every few years, most recently in 2009, and before that 2005 and 1995. All of the recent eruptions have been on the southwestern flank of the...
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The Galapagos Biodiversity and Education for Sustainability Fund
As part of a launch of the new “Galapagos Biodiversity and Education for Sustainability Fund”, a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) was signed by the Ecuadorian tour-company Ecoventura with the Charles Darwin Foundation (CDF) and Mr. Eliecer Cruz Bedón, a prominent Galapagos conservationist with...
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The Charles Darwin Foundation’s Position in Relation to Illegal Fishing in Galapagos
The Charles Darwin Foundation (CDF) supports the initiatives of communities in the Galapagos and mainland Ecuador to peacefully rally against illegal fisheries of endangered species. It is very alarming that these activities continue to occur in our territorial waters and in the Galapagos Marine...
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Investigation about Subtidal Monitoring of Non-native Species Begins in the Cocos Island National Park
Written in collaboration with Geiner Golfin, Management of Natural Resources for Cocos Island. An investigation was recently initiated in the Cocos Island National Park with the aims of minimizing the negative impacts on marine biodiversity in the Cocos Island National Park caused by non-native...
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Monitoring Macroinvertebrates on the Galapagos ‘Enchanted Islands’
My experience with the 2017 ecological monitoring project It was 5:30am when the motor of the Queen Mabel ship was turned off after navigating all night towards Punta Moreno, our first stop in the west of the archipelago. The sun still wasn’t out and we were getting ready for our first dive of the...
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Expanding science and knowledge on the largest island of the Galapagos
I have been very lucky to visit Galapagos numerous times, first as a volunteer at the Galapagos National Park Directorate (GNPD) and then at the Charles Darwin Foundation (CDF). At the start of 2016, I returned to support the Foundation’s work as a “Local Liaison Coordinator” on Isabela, the...
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Scientists Meet in Galapagos to Discuss Climate Change
The Charles Darwin Foundation (CDF), the Galapagos National Park Directorate (GNPD), and a group of local and international scientists and authorities met at the end of July 2017 on Santa Cruz Island to discuss the impacts of climate change at a workshop called “Science and Climate Change CMAR,”...
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CDF's New Library Catalog
The G.T. Corley Smith Library, located in Puerto Ayora at our Research Station, is happy to announce the online availability of our catalog. In the past, the only way to know which titles were in our collection was to visit the library in person. Now, thanks to the support of the Galapagos...
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Galapagos Verde 2050 is Starting the Process of Ecological Restoration on Española Island
Written in collaboration with Lorena Romero. Between June 21 and 28, 2017, the Galapagos Verde 2050 (GV2050) team, with the collaboration of Giant Tortoise Restoration Initiative, implemented by Galapagos Conservancy and Galapagos National Park Directorate, went on an expedition to Española Island...
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Endemic Volunteer: My Experience at the Galapagos Charles Darwin Research Station
The tropical heat of a sunny day in “The Enchanted Islands” fell upon the grey costume I was wearing. With blurry vision from the inside of my strange attire, I was watching how the visitors enjoyed, laughed, asked questions, and took photos of me. Children were terrified and cried as they were...
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Studying Coral Reefs in the Darwin and Wolf Expedition 2017
The Galapagos Archipelago has a new designation, a “Marine Sanctuary”, conformed by Darwin and Wolf; small islands located in the north. These islands have a lot to discover and protect. A group of experimented scientists embarked in an expedition on the boat Queen Mabel at the end of April, 2017....
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Galapagos Lizard and Human Settlements Sharing Habitats
Through the shore of the bigger islands of our archipelago we have several friends that build the beautiful landscape that we use as sustenance of our lives. In the coastal zone, and some part of the arid zones, there are these reptiles that are part of the cycle of life that here occurs. The...
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Unique Encounters at the Charles Darwin Research Station in Galapagos
The visit to the Charles Darwin Research Station on the Island of Santa Cruz in the Galapagos is a lifetime dream for our visitors, according to Dennis Ballesteros, a Senior Guide with Metropolitan Touring, an organization that brings thousands of tourists to the islands every year. “The...
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Changing Perceptions about Sharks in the Galapagos Islands
The most common response when I talk to non-scientists about sharks, is that they are dangerous animals that, among other things, kill people. Actually, sharks are not killers; they are very interesting animals and science has helped us to discover some of their marvelous secrets. Besides being...
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Baby Sharks and Ice Cream Make for a Fun Evening in the Galapagos
Elasmobranchs (sharks, rays and chimaeras) are among the most threatened group of species on the planet 1 . Since the end of World War II, we humans got too good at fishing and have managed to remove 9 of 10 sharks and other large predatory fishes from the global oceans 2 . Only few isolated...
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Tackling the Biggest Challenge for Conservation in Galapagos: Legal Small-Scale Fisheries
Past and Present of Fisheries in Galapagos Fisheries is one of the oldest economic activities on the Islands, which were annexed to Ecuador in 1832. One of the first attempts of colonizing the islands, which do not have ancestral cultures, was in the early 1920s by a group of Norwegians settlers...
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Telling Scientific Stories with National Geographic
Written in collaboration with Paola Diaz-Freire. A National Geographic team arrived in Galapagos for four days to run a Story Telling Bootcamp directed to our staff members and other organisations that work for conservation in the archipelago. This intensive course included, public speaking, video...
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Can Rare Tropical Penguins Survive in the Galapagos?
Very docile and gentle, Galapagos penguins are unique. They are not only one of the smallest penguin species in the world, but also they are also the only penguin that lives in the equatorial line with a tropical climate. They feed near the coast and their diet is mainly composed of fish and...
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Galapagos Landbirds and Their Current Situation in the Archipelago
Galapagos landbirds welcome seven new species! Two former sub-species of the Vermilion Flycatcher are considered proper species, the Large Cactus Finch was split into the Genovesa Cactus Finch and the Española Ground Finch, and the Sharp-beaked Ground Finch was split into three species! However,...
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Researching the Introduced Fowler’s Tree Frog In Santa Cruz Island
The Galapagos Islands include a large biodiversity of vertebrates including mammals, reptiles, birds and fish. However, as far as amphibians are concerned, the only one found on the islands is the Fowler’s Snouted Treefrog ( Scinax quinquefasciatus ), which is an introduced species. Its biology,...
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Five New Sub-Species of the Marine Iguana in Galapagos
The Galapagos Marine Iguana is one of the key endemic species that is distributed throughout the archipelago. Recently, a team of European and Latin American scientists led by Dr. Sebastian Steinfartz of the Braunschweig Technical University in Germany studied the diversity of the Galapagos marine...
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The Difficult Flight of Birds in Galapagos
Written by: Jack Lo Lau / Mongabay Latam This article was originally published in Mongabay Latam. How is a small fruit fly able to affect the finch population? What do the dwarf penguin, the flightless cormorant and the elegant albatross have in common? The life in Galapagos surprises you every...
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The Fourth Mangrove Finch Captive-Rearing Season Begins
Climbing equipment, incubators and generators with solar panels are some of the tools that are part of the materials that the mangrove finch conservation project team requires to begin the fourth season of captive rearing. This species has been severely affected by the parasitic fly Philornis...
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Remembering the Story of Lonesome George in the Galapagos Islands
This February 23rd, the Government of Ecuador through the Ministry of the Environment brings back from the Museum of Natural History of New York, the embalmed body of the giant tortoise native of Pinta Island, Lonesome George, who was one of the most famous reptiles in the world for having been...
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First Record of the Chilean Flamingo in Galápagos
Written in collaboration with Daniela Vilema. For the first time in the islands two individuals of the species Chilean Flamingo ( Phoenicopterus chilensis ) were registered in the Galapagos Islands, on October 17 and 29, 2015 by Tui De Roy, and on July 14, 2016 by Luis Die Dejean. These were...
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Exploring the Depths of the Galapagos Islands
Written in collaboration with Etienne Rastoin. The coastal waters of the Galapagos archipelago have been of scientific interest for the last 30 years, however, the depths of the Marine Reserve have remained little explored and studied. That is why in 2016, the Galapagos Islands became the scene of...
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Sharing Environmental Education Experiences in South Africa
During the last year I worked on the education component of the project "The Galapagos Marine Reserve: A Model of Sustainable Coexistence between Humans and Sharks" with the support of the Save Our Seas Foundation (SOSF) and Lindblad-National Geographic. I mention this to tell you where this...
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The “Protect the Fins” Campaign and Its Impact on the Community
We conclude with our campaign Protect the Fins and the Ocean Wins! Demonstrating that humans and sharks can coexist sustainably. After visiting all the schools in the archipelago and performing various activities with the local community, we have reached our goal! During July, August and September...
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DiveStat - Getting to Know the Divers in Galapagos
Written in collaboration with Nicolás Moity How many tourists come to Galapagos to dive? Where do these divers come from? Where are most of the sharks, mantas, turtles and other marine species of Galápagos observed by the divers? How does this information contribute to the management of the areas...
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Re-sightings of Captive-bred Mangrove Finches
Written in collaboration with Daniela Vilema. The mangrove finch ( Camarhynchus heliobates ) is a critically endangered species with a population estimated at 100 individuals with fewer than 20 breeding pairs. The survival of this species in the wild is threatened due to the parasitism of...
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Monitoring Penguins and Cormorants in the West of the Galapagos
Written in collaboration with Gustavo Jiménez-Uzcategui. Galapagos penguins ( Spheniscus mendiculus ) and non-flying cormorants ( Phalacrocorax harrisi ) are two endemic species of the Galapagos Islands. The penguins can be found commonly in Isabela, Fernandina, Bartolome and Floreana since they...
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The Aquatimer Gets Up Close With The Predators Of The Seas
IWC, one of our main donors supporting our conservation work in Galapagos, has launched a new watch, the Aquatimer Chronograph "Sharks" . The special edition watch with production limited to 500 pieces features a unique hammerhead shark engraving on the case back. The Aquatimer Chronograph Edition...
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Don Jacinto Gordillo and the Charles Darwin Foundation
We regret to inform that the early morning of October 25th, 2016 in Puerto Baquerizo Moreno in San Cristobal Island we lost a very dear friend and ex colleague of the Charles Darwin Foundation, Jacinto Gordillo. Everyone who had the honor to meet Don Jacinto know and feel closely the quality of...
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The Galapagos Verde 2050 Project: We Want to See a Greener Baltra!
Between September 27 and September 30, 2016 the Galapagos Verde 2050 project, together with the DPNG and with the support of ECOGAL and FAE, in order to continue the process of ecological restoration on Baltra, the fifth planting of native species and endemic plants of the island took place. This...
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Yachay Tech and the Charles Darwin Foundation Will Work Together to Achieve Excellence for Science in Ecuador
On September 15, Catherine Rigsby, Chancellor of Yachay Tech, Paul Baker, Dean of the School of Geological Sciences and Engineering, Edwin Cadena, a teacher at the same school, and Arturo Izurieta, Executive Director of the Charles Darwin Foundation for the Galapagos islands, met in the facilities...
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New 25-Year Deal to Boost Scientific Research and Environmental Conservation in the Galapagos Islands
A 25-year cooperation deal was signed in Quito on Friday, July 29, 2016 and a symbolic ceremony took place in Galapagos on the 11th of August of the same year, between the Ecuadorian Government and the Charles Darwin Foundation that will strengthen crucial scientific research and conservation...
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New Findings About the Vermillion Flycatcher in Galapagos
Results of a phylogenetic study that used samples of the vermillion flycatcher from the museum collection of the California Academy of Sciences were published on the 24th of May 2016 in the journal “Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution”. The study was led by investigator Ore Carmi of the...
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Research to Eradicate Philornis downsi in Galapagos Moves Ahead
Paola Lahuatte, currently a junior researcher at the Charles Darwin Research Station, first arrived here in May 2013 as a volunteer. After a few months she was offered a scholarship to develop a method for breeding Philornis downsi under laboratory conditions for her undergraduate thesis project...
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RAYMOND LÉVEQUE, The Origin of the Charles Darwin Research Station in Santa Cruz (1960-1962)
We remember the first Director of the Charles Darwin Research Station, a Swiss ornithologist who sadly passed away last month at the age of 84. Léveque supervised and planned the initial work for the construction of the Research Station in Puerto Ayora. He started the first herbarium and he began...
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Learning About Sharks in Galapagos
“Galapagos needs sharks, sharks need Galapagos”. This is the main focus of the environmental education workshops that have been developed for 5th, 6th and 7th graders in all the schools of Santa Cruz and that will soon be disseminated on the islands of Floreana, San Cristobal and Isabela as part...
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Galapagos Verde 2050 Continues Contributing to Ecological Restoration of South Plaza
During May and June our team of scientists and volunteers, along with the collaboration of the Galapagos National Park Directorate, continued the initial phase in the process of ecological restoration of South Plaza through the recuperation of the cacti population ( Opuntia echios var. echios )....
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Protect the Fins and the Ocean Wins!
Did you know that a shark generates more than 5 million dollars in the span of its entire life in the Galapagos? Or that the Darwin and Wolf Islands host the highest shark biomass on the planet? These and many other interesting facts will be presented in the campaign titled “Protect the Fins and...
Read moreThird Group of Captive-Reared Mangrove Finch Fledglings Return to Isabela Island
A team of Charles Darwin Research Station 'Mangrove Finch Project' staff carried out the successful release of 15 mangrove finch (Camarhynchus heliobates) fledglings this May. The team spent six weeks camping in the field in order to safely release the fledglings back into their native habitat,...
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Farewell Freda!
Last week our Grants and Contracts Manager, Freda Chapman, retired. We wish Freda all the best in her new endeavors and want to thank her for all the years of hard work and dedication to the protection and conservation of Galapagos. Freda got involved with the Charles Darwin Research Station...
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My Time at CDF
On February 28, I arrived on Baltra Island filled with expectations and (I admit it) nervousness, but I was in Galapagos and nothing could go wrong with being here. I didn’t know what to expect about the Charles Darwin Foundation (CDF) but I received an email from Kelsey Bradley, who would be my...
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Northern Galápagos Islands Home to World’s Largest Shark Biomass
Ecuador Designated Area a Marine Sanctuary Last March: Ensures Protection of Hammerheads, Reef Sharks and Other Top Predators. In a study published today in the journal PeerJ , scientists from the Charles Darwin Research Station (CDRS) and the National Geographic Society revealed that the northern...
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"Charles Darwin" Exhibition Hall Soft Opening
A year ago the Charles Darwin Foundation (CDF) initiated a project to create an area within the Charles Darwin Research Station (CDRS) with the primary objective of showing visitors and the local community about the role that the CDF has fulfilled in the Galapagos Islands for over 50 years. Dr....
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Jorge Herrera, 30 Years with the Charles Darwin Foundation
In 1986, our dear colleague Jorge Herrera became a part of the Charles Darwin Foundation (CDF) staff. With the motivation to achieve a college scholarship that the Foundation could grant, Jorge accepted the position of Supplies Manager. He soon found himself in a very friendly atmosphere where he...
Read moreA New Season of Mangrove Finches Fighting for Survival
Written in collaboration with Liza Diaz Lalova . For the third year running, the rarest of “Darwin's finches” is being captive-reared at the Charles Darwin Research Station (CDRS), the operating arm of the Charles Darwin Foundation (CDF). The Mangrove Finch Project team, led by the CDF and the...
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Darwin and Wolf Marine Sanctuary is Home to the Greatest Shark Biomass in the World
A scientific study by marine researchers from the Charles Darwin Foundation (CDF) revealed that Wolf and Darwin Islands, located in the northwest of the Galapagos Archipelago, are considered a single ecological unit with the largest shark biomass on the planet, with an average of 17.5 tons per...
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Manta Rays Galapagos
The Galapagos Islands are well known for their amazing biodiversity and high levels of endemism. Under the water, the Galapagos is also known for large shark populations, marine turtles and sea lions. The Galapagos is a paradise for those who love the underwater world. My name is Nathalia. I’m a...
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Galapagos Verde 2050 Incorporates Biodegradable Cocoon Technology as Part of the Ecological Restoration of Baltra Island
Written in collaboration with Liza Diaz Lalova and Soledad Moran. Galapagos Verde 2050 project works developing concrete actions to contribute to the process of restoring the ecological integrity and biodiversity of large areas in arid islands of Galapagos, for this purpose native and endemic...
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Roger Perry
Roger Perry, writer, educator, passionate conservationist and Charles Darwin Research Station Director from 1964 to 1970 died in January 2016 at the age of 82. He was a Darwin Foundation Honorary Member since 2004. During his years as head of the Station he turned this small field station where...
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Inter-institutional Cooperation Agreement Between the National Fisheries Institute and the Charles Darwin Foundation
This January 29, 2016 an inter-institutional Cooperation Agreement between the National Fisheries Institute (INP), represented by the General Director MSc. Edwin Moncayo, and the Charles Darwin Foundation, represented by the Executive Director, Dr. Arturo Izurieta Valery was signed. Through this...
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A Tribute to Roger Perry (Charles Darwin Research Station Director 1964-1970)
Charles Darwin Research Station Director in Galapagos, wildlife conservationist and author Roger Perry has died at the age of 82. We remember Roger Perry's contribution to the conservation of the Galapagos Archipelago. He has been the longest serving Director to date. Dr. Peter Kramer, his...
Read moreHistory of the Meteorological Station at the Charles Darwin Research Station
The Meteorological Weather Station operated by the Charles Darwin Research Station (CDRS) in Santa Cruz Island received its most recent maintenance check in October 2015. This important upkeep was carried out with the support of the Weather and Hydrology National Institute of Ecuador and with the...
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Mangrove Finch Conservation Workshop
A workshop "Conservation planning for the critically endangered mangrove finch (Camarhynchus heliobates) 2016 - 2020" took place in Puerto Ayora from the 15 – 18 September, 2015. Participants included international specialists who have worked with mangrove finch conservation, project partners and...
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The Charles Darwin Foundation on International Innovation
THE GALAPAGOS ISLANDS are one of the best preserved island ecosystems in the world. The observations Charles Darwin made when he visited the Islands in 1835 can still be seen and have been studied further by hundreds of scientists around the world. Gaining an understanding of the biological and...
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Galapagos Visitors Can Now Help CDF Ornithologists Protect Birds
On your next trip to Galapagos, don’t forget to bring your SmartPhone! You can be CDF’s “eyes and ears” as you visit these beautiful islands – after all, our ornithologists are very talented but they can’t be everywhere at once. We are working hard to find out as much as possible about our native...
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The Charles Darwin Research Station – Now Better Connected Than Ever Before!
Do you take your internet connection for granted? Can you remember what it was like in the days of slow dial-up connections? That's a bit like how it is in Galapagos now. Our internet connection has to make the 600-mile journey from mainland Ecuador and then get through cabling and connections...
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Galapagos 360 - Google Street View
If you would like to see the world from the comfort of your house, we have good news. Through the new project 'Galapagos 360', you can view spectacular images of the islands without leaving your chair. New geographic technology, online accessibility of large amounts of information and recent...
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Identifying Birds in Galapagos Has Never Been Easier with "BirdsEye Galápagos"
The Galapagos Landbird Conservation Program , conducted by the Charles Darwin Foundation (CDF) and the Galapagos National Park Directorate (GNPD), is developing strategies to monitor and assess the status of landbird species in Galapagos. Thanks to the teamwork of Birds In The Hand, LLC, CDF, the...
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Satellite Images Donation to Help Control of Invasive Plant Species in Galapagos
The Charles Darwin Foundation (CDF) received a donation of high resolution satellite images from the DigitalGlobe Foundation through Brown University, US. This donation has been received by Lynn Carlson, manager of the EARTHLab at Brown University, and Heinke Jäger, a CDF scientist. Other team...
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Eight Mangrove Finches Returned Home
In 2014 the collecting of eggs from the wild and captive breeding of mangrove finch chicks (Camarhynchus heliobates) , a critically endangered species of the famous "Darwin's finches", began. The Mangrove Finch Conservation Project, conducted by the Charles Darwin Foundation (CDF) and the...
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CDF Takes Part in Galapagos Symposium in San Francisco
The symposium “Galápagos 2015: Science, Conservation, and History in the 180 years since Darwin” gathered about 60 researchers, experts, students and passionate audience for the conservation of the species in the Galapagos Islands. Pacific division of the American Association for the Advancement...
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Monitoring Effects of Blackberry Control at Los Gemelos
The unique animals and plants of the Galapagos archipelago have experienced few extinctions, mainly due to the late colonization of the islands by humans and the high level of protection of most of the archipelago as an uninhabited national park. However, changes in land use and the presence of...
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The Charles Darwin Foundation Appoints Researcher Arturo Izurieta Valery as New Executive Director
Professor Dennis Geist, President of the CDF, remarks, “This is a transformation for the Charles Darwin Foundation, a real opportunity to take a major step forward in our scientific support of Galápagos conservation and support of national scientific capacity. Dr. Arturo Izurieta Valery is just...
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