May 2009 Archives

Special shelters may be required on Galapagos to save rare species, such as Galapagos Penguins, from global warming and rising sea levels.

CDF scientists, together with representatives from International Center for the Investigation of the El Niño Phenomenon (CIIFEN), University of San Francisco, Quito, North Carolina State University and National Oceanographic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) wrapped up a Galapagos Climate Change Workshop in April with a strong warning about the dangers of an altered climate.

Speaking before a panel which included representatives from the Ministry of the Environment, Galapagos National Park, Agrocalidad, the Ecuadorian Navy (INOCAR) and other governmental agencies, CDF oceanographer Stuart Banks joined experts from around the world in announcing that climate change presents the risk of significant disruptions in currents, surface ocean temperature, and precipitation in the Galapagos archipelago.

Stuart warned these changes could increase the spread of invasive species and disease and exacerbate the stress put upon many native and endemic species.The Charles Darwin Foundation (CDF) can continue its work to save the rare and endemic Mangrove Finch, thanks to an award of more than £150,000 (around 220,000 dollars) from the Darwin Initiative, a British government-funded organisation, which funds the protection of biological diversity. The project will continue to be led by Durrell Wildlife Conservation Trust, and is expected to fund two more years of a three year old project.The Galapagos National Park has confirmed that La Cumbre volcano on Fernandina Island has erupted.