Greenpeace begins six-week evaluation of the Galapagos Islands marine reserve

The Greenpeace research ship Arctic Sunrise arrived in the Galapagos Islands Thursday to begin a six-week study of Galapagos Marine Reserve ecosystems. The ship docked in Puerto Ayora, the main port on Santa Cruz Island, and will begin its work next week.

The Greenpeace research ship Arctic Sunrise.

According to project director Ruth Robles, the Greenpeace mission is aimed at assisting Ecuador and the management of the Galapagos National Park maintain the archipelago’s unique ecosystems. “We want to ensure the health of the great biodiversity of the Galapagos Islands,” she said. “We applaud the efforts of Ecuador and its partners for protecting these waters. They have compiled an amazing history of conservation which we want to showcase to the world.”

The 16-member Greenpeace project, which includes biologists, researchers, videographers, and photographers, will be joined by representatives of the Galapagos-based Charles Darwin Foundation and the Jocotoco Conservation Foundation.

According to Robles, the mission has four major objectives: to study ecosystems of underwater hills and mountains, or seamounts, inside and outside the existing Galápagos Marine Reserve; to collect video footage of sea life at the seamounts; to collect and evaluate samples of species in the marine reserve and compare them to previous samples; and to document the migratory routes of sharks in the marine reserve and beyond into the high seas.

One of Greenpeace’s immediate goals, Robles says, is ensuring passage of the United Nation’s Global Ocean Treaty, which requires the agreement of at least 60 countries. “The Galápagos Marine Reserve is one of the best examples of ocean protection, but it is still the exception in a world where only 3% of the oceans are fully protected.”

She adds: “To the east of the Galapagos is the Eastern Tropical Pacific Marine Corridor, which is a vast area under no country’s jurisdiction. It is part of an underwater superhighway for special species like sharks and sea turtles. Unfortunately, this area has no protection and is still subjected to intense human pressures, such as over-fishing.”