Scientists on a Schmidt Ocean Institute expedition have discovered a new hydrothermal vent field larger than a professional soccer field. The vent field found in the Pacific Ocean off the Western Galápagos Islands consists of five geyser-like chimneys and three hot springs, like those you might see in Yellowstone.

Not just your average library, the CDF Library, Archive and Museum at our campus features three unique spaces dedicated to the management of knowledge and memory: written and audiovisual documents, archival materials, and archaeological and historical artifacts. There is something for everyone - from scientific to fictional, for the scientist or a student.

In 1966, a course at the Charles Darwin Research Station marked the beginning of environmental education in Galápagos. Teachers learned to use the natural environment as a teaching tool, linking conservation and community. This experience laid the foundation for context-based education that remains essential to protect the islands’ unique ecosystems.

Important feeding and nesting sites for the endangered East Pacific green turtle in Galapagos are increasingly threatened by tourism, marine traffic and climate change. Our research is helping to identify the key areas where sea turtles are most vulnerable, and to develop solutions to protect them in the long term.