Experts traveled to the islands to evaluate the health status of some species, track them by satellite and obtain information about their biology and migratory routes.
Sea lions on San Cristóbal Island, Galapagos, on July 1, 2023.
A group of veterinarians moved to the Galapagos to carry out various health surveillance and knowledge transfer activities. According to experts, the mission is to contribute to the conservation of critically endangered endemic species on the islands.
This is a conservation program implemented by the Universidad San Francisco de Quito (USFQ) and the Oceanogràfic Foundation, through the Galápagos Science Center (GSC), in collaboration with the Galapagos National Park (PNG).
In the first instance, the objective is to provide support to the PNG “to generate a baseline on the health status of some of its emblematic species, such as sea lions, land and sea turtles, sharks and iguanas,” said University reported. on October 31, 2023.
During their stay in Ecuador, between September and October, veterinarians from the Valencian aquarium carried out health sampling on 50 Galapagos sea lions (Zalophus wollebaeki), a species endemic to the archipelago and in critical danger of extinction.
Likewise, several hawksbill turtles (Eretmochelys imbricata), the most endangered species on the planet, were tagged with satellite tracking devices to understand their movements and possible connections with other populations.
Experts assure that this will provide valuable information to the scientific community about their migratory routes and the possible spread of diseases.
In addition, until December 2023, several monitoring activities will be carried out on marine-coastal birds affected by avian influenza (H5-N1) in San Cristóbal.
To this end, the Oceanogràfic Foundation deployed veterinary personnel, equipment and materials, and works closely with scientists from USFQ and PNG to better understand the situation of the affected fauna.
