CONSERVATION PROJECTS

The Galápagos Science Center approaches conservation from many different perspectives.

The GSC reports more than 173 interdisciplinary research projects, reflecting how complex the relationship is between wildlife, oceans, climate, people, and the future of island ecosystems.

Research conducted through the GSC helps scientists better understand the extraordinary species and ecosystems found throughout Galápagos.

Projects cover subjects ranging from marine ecosystems and wildlife conservation to biodiversity, environmental change, animal health, genetics, fisheries, and the interaction between people and nature.

The GSC also operates scientific infrastructure including laboratories focused on marine sciences, genomics, animal health, human health and ecosystems, and data science and visualization.

Its Galápagos Data Hub allows researchers and others to explore and visualize information related to the islands' socio-ecological systems, while its Biobank preserves more than 1,460 biological samples to support future scientific and conservation research.

One of the things we find particularly meaningful about the Galápagos Science Center is that its work extends beyond laboratories and wildlife.

The center also develops community and environmental education initiatives, works with local schools, supports citizen science, and creates opportunities for local and international students to participate in research and learning.

This reflects an important idea: protecting Galápagos also means understanding and involving the people who call these islands home.

At SharkSky Travel & Conservation, we believe that seeing Galápagos is only the beginning.

Swimming alongside a sea turtle, watching a marine iguana, encountering a shark, or walking through an endemic forest becomes even more meaningful when we understand the science behind these ecosystems and the work being done to study their future.

We are not involved in managing or conducting the research of the Galápagos Science Center, nor do we represent the institution.

Our purpose is simply to help travelers discover their work, learn more about Galápagos, follow current research, connect directly with the organization, and support science and conservation if they feel inspired to do so.

LEARN. EXPLORE. STAY INFORMED.

Through scientific tracking and tagging, MigraMar researchers have studied species including:

MigraMar's work is designed to provide scientific evidence for ocean management and conservation.

According to the organization, its research has helped identify important feeding, breeding and migration areas, contributed information used by governments and conservation stakeholders, and supported efforts to strengthen and expand marine protected areas across the region. Its Swimways Initiative focuses on the ecological connectivity between important marine areas of the Eastern Pacific.

When you snorkel in Galápagos and encounter a shark, turtle or ray, you are seeing only a small moment in an animal's much larger journey.

Learning about organizations such as MigraMar helps us understand that protecting Galápagos also means understanding and protecting the ocean corridors connecting these islands to the rest of the Eastern Pacific.

At SharkSky Travel & Conservation, we are not involved in managing or conducting MigraMar's research. We simply believe their work is worth discovering and want to make it easier for travelers to learn, stay informed, connect directly and support conservation initiatives that inspire them.

GCT supports and develops projects across several major conservation areas, including:

Protecting the Ocean

One of GCT's major conservation priorities is ecological restoration.

On Floreana Island, for example, the organization supports an ambitious effort aimed at restoring the island's ecosystem and facilitating the return of species that disappeared locally after the arrival of invasive animals.

Tackling Plastic Pollution

Protecting Galápagos is not only about wildlife.

GCT also works on environmental education, community initiatives, and responsible tourism, recognizing that the future of the islands depends on creating a balance between conservation and the people who live in and visit the archipelago.

At SharkSky Travel & Conservation, we believe that visiting Galápagos should also inspire curiosity about the work being done to protect it.

We are not involved in managing or operating Galapagos Conservation Trust projects, and we do not represent the organization. We simply want travelers to have the opportunity to discover their work, learn about current conservation challenges, stay informed, and connect directly with organizations helping protect the islands.

From Fishing to Conservation

Hope Spots are special marine places recognized by Mission Blue as critically important to the health of the ocean.

The initiative seeks to bring greater awareness and support to marine ecosystems that deserve protection and to the people working to safeguard them.

For Galápagos, this means looking beyond the boundaries of the islands themselves. Sharks, turtles, seabirds and other species regularly move between Galápagos and other regions of the Eastern Pacific, demonstrating that protecting these animals requires thinking about the ocean as a connected ecosystem.