Ecologically, the ocean is one interconnected system. Yet international law has divided it into arbitrary maritime zones based on geopolitical interests. Our research seeks to improve transnational ocean governance and conservation outcomes in the Eastern Tropical Pacific, through collaboration with scientists, academics, practitioners, and decision-makers.

In 1969, during relentless rains on Santa Fe Island, scientist Tjitte de Vries discovered a small, well-preserved tortoise skull. Taken to the Charles Darwin Research Station, the find intrigued researchers, who believed it might belong to the island’s long-extinct giant tortoise.

A tiny blue octopus discovered nearly 6,000 feet beneath the waters of Galápagos is rewriting what scientists know about deep-sea life. From a chance encounter during an underwater expedition to cutting-edge CT scans revealing a species never seen before, this remarkable discovery highlights the mysteries still hidden in Earth’s oceans.

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.

New DNA research reveals that Galápagos Vermilion Flycatchers are not one species, but a mosaic of long-isolated island lineages. By uncovering hidden genetic diversity, scientists are reshaping conservation priorities and taxonomic understanding—find out how evolution, extinction, and restoration efforts intersect across the archipelago.