The Charles Darwin Foundation and Oceans Finance Company are delighted to announce a strategic partnership aimed at advancing crucial long-term conservation initiatives to enhance resilience to climate change in the archipelago and surrounding areas.

A scientific team led by the Charles Darwin Foundation (CDF) and the California Academy of Sciences (CAS), in collaboration with the Galapagos National Park Directorate (GNPD) has confirmed that Rhizopsammia wellingtoni—a solitary coral thought to be lost for a generation— is alive and clinging to Galapagos’ underwater cliffs.

Researchers at the Charles Darwin Research Station study the invasive fly Philornis downsi to protect Galápagos birds. Through controlled rearing, data recording, and experiments on reproduction and behavior, they develop biological control methods. Despite challenges like low mating success, steady laboratory work supports conservation efforts and the survival of endemic species.

The Galapagos Rail (Laterallus spilonota) has been confirmed on Floreana Island for the first time in 190 years. This follows a 2023 eradication campaign that removed most invasive cats and rats, likely aiding its survival. Researchers will conduct genetic testing to determine if the species recolonized or persisted undetected.

Explore the Galapagos Islands' volcanic beginnings, unique biodiversity, and the global conservation efforts led by the Charles Darwin Foundation to protect them.

Andrea Daniela Coloma is a marine bird researcher and devoted mother of two, proving that science and motherhood can thrive side by side. Discover how her passion for conservation, rooted in the Galapagos, intersects with family life—and how the Charles Darwin Foundation supports this meaningful balance. Read her story.

Galapagos Research (formerly Noticias de Galápagos) is the research journal of the Charles Darwin Foundation for the Galapagos Islands.

The 1905–1906 expedition of the California Academy of Sciences, led by Rollo Howard Beck, introduced a systematic approach to studying the Galápagos. By documenting specimen origins, it revealed variation among islands, established the archipelago as a natural laboratory of evolution, and laid foundations for ongoing research and conservation.

Scientists have uncovered a hidden collapse of Galápagos deep-sea corals, revealing a 1,000-year disappearance linked to ancient climate shifts. By reconstructing 117,000 years of ocean history, the study exposes the vulnerability—and resilience—of these unseen ecosystems, offering urgent insights into how climate change could reshape life in the deep ocean.