Marine Invasion
Look for the 5 harmful objects on this beach.
Click to learn more about how it harms the environment and how the Galápagos community is combating the problem.
How does it hurt the environment?
Most beer bottles are made of glass, which is recyclable. However, many of the beer bottles in San Cristóbal end up on the beaches. The Galápagos handles glass waste creatively. For example, the glittery sidewalks in Puerto Ayora are made of a concrete and recycled glass mixture.
Who is helping and how?
Joselo, the dive instructor, is working to prevent drug and alcohol abuse by minors by making them more passionate about environmental protection.
How does it hurt the environment?
Despite the single-use plastics ban in the Galápagos, plastic wrappers pollute the waters and beaches. Many of these plastics come from Chinese fishing vessels that sit right outside the protected marine reserve.
Who is helping and how?
Juan Pablo, a local researcher who is passionate about plastic pollution, advocates for better policies in handling the trash left by Chinese fishing vessels.
How does it hurt the environment?
While working on the beaches, researchers have unintentionally left research materials like syringes used to draw blood samples. These plastics are not only harmful to the environment, but they can also be harmful to the residents who frequent the beaches daily.
Who is helping and how?
Santiago, a neighborhood bike instructor, takes his young biking students out to do beach clean-ups. These children aged 5-16 bike to the beaches and collect plastics and other trash to protect the locals and the environment.
How does it hurt the environment?
The stalked barnacle was first found affixed to a floating plastic bottle. Though not invasive, these barnacles show that more harmful species can float in on marine debris that is carried into the marine reserve by currents.
Who is helping and how?
Currently, there are many organizations including the Charles Darwin Foundation, Galapágos National Park Directorate, and Galapágos Biosecurity Agency that are focusing on combating the problem of invasive species in the marine reserve. These organizations are tracking new species that arrive and also inspect boats to limit the number of species introduced to the islands.
How does it hurt the environment?
The venomous lionfish was introduced to the Galápagos after the expansion of the Panama Canal. The canal helped them migrate to the Pacific coast and end up in the Galápagan waters. Lionfish greatly threaten native species by competing with them for limited resources.
Who is helping and how?
There are many researchers who are working with Galápagos conservationists to protect the waters from more invasion. These researchers discovered the lionfish as an invasive species along with 48 others in 2012. Now, the total count of invasive species is up to 53.