Galápagos in the Face of Climate Change: An Urgent Lesson from a Natural Laboratory
- Luis Diego Molina
- 3 hours ago
- 4 min read
This is the third post in a blog series exploring how Ecology Project International works with students to understand and address climate change across its different program sites. You can read the first post here, and the second one here.
If we say that the Galápagos Islands were fundamental to our understanding of how life on Earth evolved, we are not exaggerating.
When Charles Darwin visited in 1835, he was struck by the remarkably different species across islands with similar geography and climate, observations that laid the groundwork for On the Origin of Species (1859) and established the archipelago as one of the world's most important sites for biological research.
A Fragile Sanctuary Under Threat
The islands are home to extraordinarily rich endemic biodiversity, with many species found nowhere else on Earth, a distinction that earned them designation as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. However, the effects of climate change are already evident in this natural sanctuary. Because they are islands, their ecosystems are extremely fragile and now face serious risk.
Warming ocean temperatures are altering marine currents, disrupting the entire marine food chain and threatening many of the islands’ species. For example, rising temperatures have caused the decline of red and green algae, a primary food source for marine iguanas.
Higher sea temperatures also push fish populations into deeper or more distant waters. As a result, sea lion mothers must travel farther to feed, leaving their pups alone for extended periods. This has led to the death of many pups due to starvation.
Ocean warming also causes coral bleaching. This occurs when corals lose the algae that live within them and provide the energy and warmth they need to survive. At the same time, ocean acidification weakens corals and plankton, making them more vulnerable and threatening the base of marine ecosystems.
In addition, the intensification of climate phenomena such as El Niño has proven catastrophic for island species. In past years, declines of up to 70% of the Galápagos penguin population have been recorded following El Niño events. While El Niño is a natural phenomenon, it is being intensified by human-driven atmospheric warming.
Education as a Tool for Resilience
Faced with this alarming reality, Ecology Project International (EPI), in partnership with the local organization ECOS, is strengthening its commitment to working with young people through conservation-focused educational programs. These programs help students critically understand how climate change affects the Galápagos and what actions can be taken to build resilience.
To protect something, you must first know it, understand it, and even love it. That is why EPI and ECOS place such importance on taking students into the field, allowing them to experience the Galápagos National Park and its species firsthand, and to form meaningful connections with them.
As Ana Beatriz, EPI's Galápagos Program Coordinator, recounts while snorkeling with students:
"Céline, an excited student, points—it's her lifelong dream to see a Galápagos penguin (Spheniscus mendiculus). Observing them is a rare privilege; their population nearly vanished in the 1980s due to El Niño and human factors like oil spills. What's crystal clear, though, is Céline's expression—deeply joyful, her eyes glowing."
Such moments open powerful conversations about the fragility of these ecosystems and the extinction risk many species face.
When Extinction Becomes Tangible
A powerful example is Lonesome George, the last Pinta Island giant tortoise (Chelonoidis abingdonii), that became a global conservation symbol after its discovery in 1971. Despite decades of breeding attempts, it left no offspring, and his death in 2012 marked the species' extinction.
“The message is clear and challenging—we cannot react only when it’s too late or assume things will work themselves out. Extinction is real, it happens, and encountering this iconic individual during the Galápagos trip is one of the program’s most important reflections,” explains Ana Beatriz.
Science Grounded in Evidence
Students don't just connect emotionally with the islands' species, they also learn to think like scientists.
One key experience is giant tortoise monitoring alongside Galápagos National Park rangers. Students search for tortoises in their natural habitat, collect biometric data (carapace dimensions, weight), and help determine whether each individual has been previously recorded. New tortoises receive a microchip for long-term tracking.
Through this process, students learn how scientists analyze tortoise distribution, habitat use, and population size, data essential for informing conservation strategies.
Looking Ahead: Expanding Our Work in the Galápagos
This year, an exciting new local partnership with Project Galápagos allows us to expand our work in the zone. Students will monitor marine iguanas and sea lions, and support giant tortoise care at a galapaguera on San Cristóbal Island. These experiences will further connect students with the ecosystems and species they are working to understand and protect.
