Submarine Morphology This paper explains how utilizing EM300 bathymetry and MR1 side-scan sonar, scientists have been researching the morphology of the Galapagos islands. The morphology of the islands is significant because it helps scientists to get a better understanding of the evolution of the islands and how they continue to grow. This technology has enabled scientists to see small detailed features that are essential to a comprehensive understanding/interpretation of the morphology. Volcanic activity is responsible for the morphology of the islands and also causes rift zones. Rift zones are areas in which the Earth’s crust is splitting and moving apart from another section. Volcanic activity has produced different morphologies in the Galapagos such as pointed cones, cones with deep craters, flat-topped cones, vents, and rifts. EM300 bathymetry and MR1 side-scan sonar have shown scientists that deep-water lava flows, volcanic cones, and rift zones are “key volcanic geomorphologic constructs” in the Western area of the Galapagos Islands.
Wildlife of the Galapagos Islands This video explores the wide variety of wildlife that can be found in the Galapagos. The Galapagos Islands are home to unique species of wildlife due to the lack of impact by humanity for many years. The author taking footage of the wildlife in the beginning of the video notes the contrast in behavior from the animals that inhabit the island compared to urban regions. Tortoises, Marine Iguanas, the Waved Albatross, the Flightless Albatross, Cormorants, Sea Lions, and Penguins are all discussed within this video. The Galapagos finches are also discussed and the speaker mentions how interesting it is that these animals made it to the Galapagos, especially with the lack of fresh water. The geology of the islands is mentioned within the video as well. Footage of the Galapagos shows that islands have many visible layers due to the volcanic eruptions that formed them and due to the movement of the tectonic plates the islands actually move closer to South America every year.
Conserving the last Eden The Galapagos Islands are a string of thirteen volcanic islands, some of the sunken ones dating back to almost 10 million years ago. The waters surrounding the island have complex oceanographic features, including the Equatorial undercurrent which provides nutrient-rich water increasing productivity. This video refers to the Galapagos as “the last Eden” due to the area being a unique biodiversity hotspot. The Darwin finches are famous because of the book Charles Darwin published about the finches which discusses the different types of finches that evolved on the island over time. The Galapagos “raptors”, marine iguanas, and giant tortoises are all species unique to the Galapagos. The Galapagos is also home to multiple endemic bird species. Unfortunately, a large number of species endemic to the Galapagos are at risk. The islands are also home to the largest biomass of sharks in the world, conservation of top predators is important as well.
Even with conservation and management techniques such as the Speical Law of the Galapagos (1998) and Galapagos Marine Reserve (1998) the biodiversity of the islands is still severely threatened. Invasive species, human population growth, tourism, and pollution are the main factors threatening biodiversity. For example, vessel traffic around the islands can cause noise pollution and their fuel can cause biological pollution. Research has shown that there are traces of DDT still linger on the island as well. Continuing research into the factors that threaten biodiversity will help scientists increase conservation and management efforts.
Evolution in the Galapagos The unique species of the Galapagos Islands provide insight as to how evolution occurred. This video gives a brief overview of Charles Darwin and his exploration of the islands. Darwin found many endemic species on his visit. Darwin, reviewing the species around him and others he had seen off the islands got the idea for the Galapagos being the “origin of species”. Darwin's finches, especially the characteristic of their beak shapes are now viewed as a classic example of evolution. Evolution is explained clearly in this video and many real life examples on the Galapagos are shown. Mockingbirds are used by the scientists in this video to show how distinct species can occur within the Galapagos Islands. Daphne Major, an island in the Galapagos is also shown to support their explanation for evolution.
Tourism, Population Growth, The Economy, and Conservation This paper discusses the connections between tourism, the economy, population growth, and conservation in Galapagos. Data pertaining to the number of tourists that visit the islands and their expenditures is discussed in great detail. The Galapagos started out as a chain of uninhabited islands with little perceived value. Over the decades these islands have become infamous for their connection to Charles Darwin and attracted the attention of foreign conservation efforts. In 1985 there were approximately 18,000 annual tourists and by 2000 approximately 72,000 annual tourists were recorded. Lasting a span of only 15 years, these numbers show just how rapidly change has taken place in the Galapagos. It is not certain exactly how much tourism affects the local economy and community. For example, some sources state that 40% of Galapagos residents are employed within the tourism industry while other sources claim it is closer to 78%. Tourism is the main economic driver for the Galapagos economy as well as a significant portion of the mainland of Ecuador’s economy. A significant number of tourists surveyed (78%) said that they would not have visited the mainland of Ecuador if it was not for the Galapagos Islands. Increasing tourism has resulted in increased disregard for regulations. One example given in this paper is that new buildings are being constructed but the number of floors allowed is not being adhered to.
The large increase in tourism lead to increased immigration in the Galapagos. In 8 years (1982-1990) the population increased at a rate of 6.4% per year. Rapid economic and population growth on the islands has led to many issues. One main issue is the lack of available resources to keep up with the population growth. More imports have been required from the mainland to sustain the population. Additionally population growth can introduce new invasive species to the islands. And while tourism has been generating increased revenues which draws in immigrants to the island, most Galapagos residents are not actually benefiting much from the growth. Since the growth is so rapid on the islands there is a great strain on local resources and the environment is already showing signs of degradation.
There are numerous local and international NGOs in the Galapagos working on conservation and environmental management but conflict still occurs. Enacting and enforcing environmental policies that could limit the threatening impacts of tourism and resource exploitation is not an easy task. Many residents rely on tourism to make a living but if population and tourism continue to grow exploitation of the islands resources could put this livelihood at risk. The paper ends by questioning what the solution to this issue may be. Overall, it seems that increasing fees and education funding/initiatives could help significantly bolster conservation in the Galapagos. The resources of the Galapagos are considered “undervalued” when the fees to do/see things on the islands are evaluated. Increasing fees for things such as entering a park could reduce tourism traffic and the excess funds could be put towards environmental education programs on the Galapagos.
Sustainable Ecotourism: The Galapagos Balance This paper begins by discussing the beginning of the “popularization of the conservation ethic”. With an increasing amount of people becoming aware of conservation and considering themselves environmentalists, travel to destinations that are considered biodiversity hotspots also increased. The trend of traveling to biodiversity hotspots has led to an expansion of the ecotourism industry. Ecotourism is viewed as an educational experience or immersion in nature that travelers seek as opposed to just relaxing while on vacation. Ecotourism has the power to engage people from all over the world and help conservation efforts. It notably has “fostered international cooperation” to support sustainable practices and conservation techniques. Additionally, ecotourists typically spend more money than a recreational traveler, which helps the economy of the region they visit benefit.
Unfortunately, ecotourism is not a solution to environmental conservation. While ecotourism has the ability to encourage sustainability it also has many negative (even if unintentional) environmental impacts. For example, increased tourism will boost an economy which leads to population growth. Population growth (and ecotourists) can unintentionally introduce invasive species to an area and put a strain on that regions resources as well. In the Galapagos, the negative impacts of ecotourism are hard to ignore. The Galapagos has become such a popular ecotourism destination that air ports and roads had to be expanded resulting in habitat fragmentation. Additionally, population growth in the region has resulted in new immigrants who do not share the “conservation ethic” and individuals who are more likely to extract resources for profits.
Sustainable ecotourism has many benefits and disadvantages. Finding a balance between conservation and development is necessary to protect regions like the Galapagos.
Galapagos Finch evolution Daphne Major is one of the smaller islands apart of the Galapagos and scientists study the famous Darwin Finches to continue to discover more about evolution. A small and relatively young island, Daphne major is an ideal place to witness evolution. Scientists, returning year after year, were able to witness the changes in species they had tagged and monitored. Finally, after a severe whether change occurred on the island, scientists were able to see adaptation and natural selection in action. They concluded that the more changes to an environment that occurred the higher the chance of evolution/natural selection taking place. In addition to discussing the research of scientists currently on Daphne Island, the video provides insight to Darwin's first trip to the islands and his discovery of the finches. At first, Darwin thought that the finches were completely different species of birds. This video confirms that there are thirteen different finch species in the Galapagos all originating from one ancestor.
The origin of birds This video explains how birds evolved from their flightless ancestors. Fossils have been an essential component in understanding the evolutionary origins of birds. There have been fossils that have preserved birds in detail, even the feathers. The first major bird fossil discovered, two years after Darwin proposed the idea of evolution, links the origins of birds to reptiles. Evidence that links birds to dinosaurs is discussed in this video. Scientists discovered that some dinosaurs even had a primitive type of feather, not yet adapted for flight.
Charles Darwin and The Origin of Species This book discusses Charles Darwin and his book The Origin of Species. The life of Darwin, the impact of Darwin and his work on the world, his theories are discussed in great detail. Darwin’s name is almost synonymous with the theory of evolution. However, his book The Origin of Species focuses on the mechanisms that lead to evolution. His theory of natural selection was unique, however it is noted that the scientists before Darwin and his friends who were scientists provided him with the platform to piece together his theory. The theory of natural selection revolutionized numerous scientific fields. Darwin's first edition of The Origin of Species was meant for the general public and “descent by modification” was soon a well known theory. Darwin went on to publish six editions total of The Origins of Species and also published more books developing his overall theory of evolution.