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By donating to the Charles Darwin Foundation and its Research Station, you are helping our scientists continue their research in order to better protect the unique animals and ecosystems of the Galapagos Islands.

Pelayo Salinas de León/CDF
Study Highlights High Vulnerability of ETP Sharks, Rays & Chimeras to Climate Change

A recent study published in the prestigious scientific journal Global Change Biology reveals that nearly a quarter of chondrichthyan species (cartilaginous fish including sharks, rays, and chimeras) in the Eastern Tropical Pacific (ETP) are highly vulnerable to climate change.

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

Juan Manuel García/CDF
65 Years Protecting Galápagos: Innovation, Development, and Science in Service of Conservation

The Charles Darwin Foundation celebrates 65 years of innovation, development, and science in service of conservation

CDF reveals its new mission and launches its 2022 Impact Report

The Charles Darwin Foundation reveals its new mission and launches its 2022 Impact Report during its 52nd General Assembly

Dr. Harvey V. Fineberg joins CDF's Board of Directors

The Charles Darwin Foundation has appointed Dr. Harvey V. Fineberg to its Board of Directors, effective 1 January 2026. He brings extensive leadership experience in global health, academia, and philanthropy, including senior roles at the Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation, Harvard University, and the U.S. National Academy of Medicine.

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).

Mara Speece / CDF
CDF Opens its Doors to the Largest Scientific Heritage of Galapagos in Ecuador

For the first time, the Charles Darwin Foundation opens Galápagos’ largest scientific collections to the public. Housing over 137,000 specimens, this new facility offers a rare glimpse into the science shaping conservation decisions and safeguarding one of the planet’s most extraordinary ecosystems.

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.

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.

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.

Juan Manuel Garcia-CDF
About us

Discover the mission, vision, and impact of the Charles Darwin Foundation. Dedicated to preserving the Galapagos Islands through groundbreaking scientific research and conservation initiatives since 1964.

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.

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

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.