Floreana Ecological Restoration

Research Objective

For the past two decades, our team has been monitoring nesting success, behaviour, morphology, song, personality and genetic change in Darwin’s finches on Floreana Island in relation to the impacts of introduced parasites and predators. Together with the Galapagos National Park, we will monitor ecosystem-level change after the eradication of introduced rats and feral cats in October 2023, and across the next decade as 12 locally extinct species are reintroduced.

Research Question

What measurable changes are there in Darwin’s finch nesting success, behaviour, morphology, song, personality and gene flow before and after introduced predator control and endemic species reintroductions? What impacts does increasing host abundance have for the spread and impacts of the avian vampire fly (Philornis downsi)?