CHARLES DARWIN RESEARCH STATION NEWS BULLETIN

CDF issues alert about the rare waved albatross

The CDF, in its role as scientific advisor to the Government of Ecuador on matters of Galapagos conservation, has formally expressed its concern to the Ecuadorian Ministry of Environment, stressing that early action can prevent a population crash in the rare waved albatross (Phoebastria irrorata).

Recent studies have shown that adult survival of the waved albatross is lower than historical estimates, contributing to a reduction of the breeding population. Preliminary results from studies led by Dr. David Anderson of Wake Forest University, North Carolina, indicate a decline in albatross populations between 1994 and 2001. Anderson and his team have visited Galapagos frequently since 1999 to survey and band adult waved albatrosses at their single breeding site on Espanola Island. In 2003, Anderson and his team also gathered survey information from major fishing communities in Peru, the principal foraging site of this species. Researchers believe the albatross are being affected by incidental death caused by fishing by-catch or intentional harvesting for human consumption.

In response to the CDF alert, the Ecuadorian Ministry for the Environment has contacted the Peruvian Government to discuss the establishment of a bilateral commission to develop mechanisms to help reduce these impacts on the unique Galapagos albatross population.

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Lichens - nature's environmental sensors

Lichens - small inconspicuous plants that live on the bark of trees or even on bare rock - are sensitive environmental indicators and are often the earliest warning signs that something has gone wrong. During February and March, CDF's new lichen specialist, Dr Frank Bungartz, and visiting consultant Dr André Aptroot, explored all vegetation zones on eight different islands to update the lichen surveys last undertaken during the 1980s. As a result, a staggering 300 new species' records for Galapagos are now housed at the CDRS herbarium amongst more than 4000 specimens collected during the survey.

Lichens have recently been used to assess the impact of burning trash at the domestic waste site on Santa Cruz Island. Results indicate the urgent need to establish alternatives for waste disposal. This is a clear example of how monitoring the lichen flora in Galapagos will help give advance warning that an ecosystem might be unstable, a useful tool when balancing the needs of the human population with the conservation of Galapagos.

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Insects tell the story of the extraordinary recovery of Pinta Island

Over 20 previously unregistered moth species, an abundance of known endemic moths, and possibly a new species of beetle were recorded by CDF entomologists and specialists from the Geneva Museum of Natural History and Wake Forest University during a March trip to the isolated and rarely visited Pinta Island.

The team was there to evaluate the recovery of the island following the 2001 eradication of the feral goats that once ravaged the island, as well as to study the evolutionary biology and chemical ecology of moths. Because of their short generation time and specialised feeding habits, insects are an important indicator of the health of any ecosystem. Damaged ecosystems generally register very low levels of endemic species. However, the recent findings of large numbers of endemic species on Pinta and the impressive recovery of the native vegetation on which they depend, clearly shows there is hope for islands that have been heavily affected by introduced species to return to their natural state.

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Rare deep water sea pens rediscovered

A remotely operated underwater vehicle (ROV) is changing the way that CDF marine staff carry out marine ecological monitoring. Such studies are critical to evaluate the state of marine resources and the effectiveness of the coastal zonation system established by the Galapagos National Park Service in 2000. The ROV allows researchers, who were previously restricted to safe diving depths of around 100ft, to access depths of up to 500ft, to take video footage and collect marine samples in previously uncharted habitats.

The first explorations in early April revealed an exciting rediscovery of rarely seen, deep-water endemic octocorals known as sea pens, 200ft down in Sullivan Bay off Santiago Island. Sea pens were once more abundant in the sandy bottoms of the cooler waters in the western islands but are considered extremely rare and even locally extinct since the strong El Niño event of 1981/82. Although the strange, featherlike corals disappear into the sand, making collection for positive identification difficult, initial observations suggest that these species (tentatively identified as Virgularia galapagensis, Cavernulina cf. darwini, and a third unnamed species) have persisted in cold, deep water, soft-bottom environments.

"These octocorals may represent the last remaining species that have survived strong climatic events and their collection locations may be sites for future population recovery," says CDF oceanographer Stuart Banks. "What we are finding using the ROV emphasises the need to better understand these fascinating habitats. New discoveries are sure to follow."

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Big things come in small packages

Two very lucky baby tortoises were found during a search of Santa Cruz Island tortoise nesting areas near Cerro Gallina by park warden Bolívar Guerrero in February. The approximately two-day-old twins were joined by the umbilical cord on their bellies and were each half the normal size. They were taken to the Research Station's captive breeding centre where they were carefully separated by CDF staff. They are healthy, developing normally, and stand an excellent chance that they will see out their 100 to 200-year life span.

Each year from December to April, park wardens visit the known Galapagos giant tortoise breeding areas to collect eggs and hatchlings to take to the safety of the Fausto Llerena captive breeding centre at the Charles Darwin Research Station. Here they are raised under optimum conditions until ready for release back to their original home.

Twin hatchings are rare but not unknown at the breeding centre, but they have little chance of survival in the wild. The tough umbilical cord would have been a lethal bond, causing infection or bleeding that would have lead to the death of both tortoises. Since the restoration of the giant tortoise populations began in the 1960s, over 3200 young tortoises have been repatriated back to their island of origin. These tiny twins now have a chance to become part of the future where giant tortoises once again roam in thousands across Galapagos.

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