Science for an interconnected ocean
The Charles Darwin Foundation’s ocean programmes investigate ecosystems in Galápagos and the Eastern Tropical Pacific. Their purpose is to make conservation decisions better informed by evidence about species, habitats and human pressures. The research station is in Puerto Ayora, Ecuador. Its ocean work spans coastal mangroves, feeding and nesting grounds, and deep habitats that remain poorly explored.
Mangroves connect wildlife, climate and livelihoods
Mangrove research examines habitats that shelter native and threatened species while benefiting coastal communities through fisheries and tourism. These ecosystems also store carbon, making their role in climate mitigation an important research question. The foundation highlights gaps in knowledge about Galápagos mangroves, linking the need to understand them with the practical challenge of conserving their ecological and social benefits.
Identifying risks to turtles and sharks
Sea turtle research focuses on vulnerable feeding and nesting areas affected by tourism, marine traffic and climate change. Identifying where those pressures meet helps develop longer-term protection measures. Shark research addresses a different but connected problem: overfishing has reduced populations, and scientific knowledge is needed to inform conservation in Galápagos and the wider Eastern Tropical Pacific.
Looking beyond the most visible species
Marine biodiversity research examines the effects of invasive species, climate change and other human pressures on the reserve and surrounding region. Deep-ocean exploration investigates vast ecosystems whose limited documentation complicates protection and management. The foundation also studies marine birds, including penguins, flightless cormorants and waved albatrosses, bringing several parts of the marine environment into its conservation work.
Research that can cross political boundaries
Animals and ecological processes connect waters governed by different jurisdictions. The ocean governance programme brings scientists, academics, practitioners and decision-makers together to improve conservation across national boundaries. Support for the foundation contributes to this research-based mission. Use its programme pages to explore particular projects, and its research-station information to plan a visit rather than assuming access to field activities. Official programme information · AnimalProtech map.
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