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Carlos Espinosa/CDF
Species Database Trichomanes reptans Sw.
Joshua Vela
CDF Launches First Digital Dashboard of Introduced Species in the Galapagos Islands

The Charles Darwin Foundation (CDF) is pleased to unveil the Galapagos Introduced Species Dashboard, the first open-access digital repository of information about species introduced to the Galapagos Islands.

Pelayo Salinas de León/CDF
Silky Shark Tagging Study Reveals Gaps in Marine Protected Areas

Satellite tagging reveals that silky sharks spend nearly half their time outside Eastern Tropical Pacific marine reserves, exposing them to intense industrial fishing. Tracking 40 sharks from Galápagos, researchers uncover critical gaps in MPA networks and call for expanded protections to better safeguard this vulnerable, wide-ranging species in the region.

Carlos Espinosa/CDF
CDF Joins Floreana Ecological Restoration Project as Co-Executor

The Charles Darwin Foundation (CDF) has joined the Floreana Ecological Restoration Project as a co-executor, alongside other key organizations. This project aims to restore Floreana Island's ecosystem by eradicating invasive species and reintroducing native animals. CDF will lead habitat restoration efforts and support species reintroductions and monitoring. The initiative focuses on holistic restoration, serving as a model for future conservation projects across the Galapagos and beyond.

Juan Manuel Garcia-CDF
Leave a Legacy

Join the Pristine Galapagos Society and become part of the history books of the Galapagos Islands

Pelayo Salinas de León/CDF
Oceanic MPAs Harbor Highest Concentrations of Sharks

A groundbreaking study across seven marine protected areas in the Eastern Tropical Pacific reveals thriving shark and predator populations in remote island MPAs like Galapagos and Malpelo, while coastal reserves are severely depleted. Discover what this means for ocean protection, why it matters, and the urgent actions scientists recommend.

Carlos Espinosa-CDF
Fundraise for Us

Start your own fundraiser today and us help inspire others to protect and preserve the unique fauna and flora of Galapagos!

Mara Speece / CDF
The Return of the Children’s Forest

Discover the revival of Isabela Island’s historic Children’s Forest, a once-forgotten sanctuary of the endangered Scalesia cordata. From its origins with Don Jacinto to today’s community-led restoration, this story reconnects generations through conservation, memory, and hope. Click to explore how a beloved forest is coming back to life.

Pelayo Salinas/CDF
First-ever documented birthing migration of a hammerhead shark

Scientists from the Charles Darwin Foundation’s shark ecology and conservation program and collaborators, have published what is likely the first-ever scientifically recorded birthing migration for the critically endangered scalloped hammerhead shark (Sphyrna lewini).

Commelina diffusa Burm. f.
Species Database Commelina diffusa Burm. f.
Billy Bensted-Smith/CDF
Local expertise meets global science: the first complete genome of endangered sea cucumber advances marine conservation in Galápagos

Local expertise meets global science: the first complete genome of endangered sea cucumber advances marine conservation in Galápagos

CDF joins the Island-Ocean Connection Challenge

The CDF joins the Island-Ocean Connection Challenge to Implement Community-Based Monitoring and Safeguard Island Ecosystems

Pelayo Salinas
CDF and WWF launch project to promote the conservation of sharks and rays in Ecuador

The Charles Darwin Foundation and WWF launch project "Habla Tiburón" to promote the conservation of sharks and rays and empower fishing communities in mainland and insular Ecuador

Carlos Espinosa/CDF
Scientists Rediscover Scalesia retroflexa

The Charles Darwin Foundation (CDF) is pleased to announce that 16 individuals of the rare plant Scalesia retroflexa were found growing on the steep, rocky coastal slopes of the southeastern point of Santa Cruz Island. Scientists from CDF’s Galapagos Verde 2050 ecological restoration team, in collaboration with rangers from the Galapagos National Park Directorate (GNPD), made this discovery during a recent expedition, renewing hope for the survival of this endemic species.

Carlos Espinosa/CDF
Scientists Rediscover Scalesia retroflexa

The Charles Darwin Foundation (CDF) is pleased to announce that 16 individuals of the rare plant Scalesia retroflexa were found growing on the steep, rocky coastal slopes of the southeastern point of Santa Cruz Island. Scientists from CDF’s Galapagos Verde 2050 ecological restoration team, in collaboration with rangers from the Galapagos National Park Directorate (GNPD), made this discovery during a recent expedition, renewing hope for the survival of this endemic species.

Billy Bensted-Smith/CDF
Rediscovered Coral Signals Hope for Galapagos Reefs

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.

Carlos Espinosa/CDF
158 Endangered Tortoises Released onto Floreana Island, Galápagos for First Time in over 180 Years

After more than 180 years, 158 endangered giant tortoises have returned to Floreana Island, marking a historic milestone in the Galápagos’ largest restoration effort. Discover how science, community leadership, and global collaboration are bringing back a lost lineage—and rebuilding an entire ecosystem from the ground up.

Pelayo Salinas de León/CDF
Silky shark's record-breaking migration of more than 27,000 km on the Tropical Eastern Pacific sheds light on urgent conservation need

Silky shark's record-breaking migration of more than 27,000 km on the Tropical Eastern Pacific sheds light on urgent conservation need