Galapagos Marine Reserve Research

Leading Galapagos shark scientist Dr. Hearn is spearheading extensive field research in the Galapagos Marine Reserve, posing an incredible opportunity for multiple vessels to assist in different aspects of this study. Timelines are flexible, and activities can be tailored to the vessel type and available space. Research goals include:

1. Using baited stereo-videos, Dr. Hearn will record the abundance and size structure of the open-ocean fish communities across 5 bioregions of the Galapagos Marine Reserve. This work would require 2-3 spaces onboard for researchers, a small vessel from which to deploy and recover the equipment, and some space for bait storage. The permit covers the entire reserve, so itinerary and timeframe are flexible.
2. Tagging and tracking the movements of smooth hammerheads in the western islands, blue sharks in the southern islands, and thresher sharks in the far northern islands to understand how the reserve protects highly migratory shark species.
3. Using a yacht-based helicopter to spot whale sharks in the southern islands, which the researchers will intercept tag by freediving from a speedboat.
4. Conducting night dives at different sites around the reserve that were surveyed two decades ago to compare population structure and abundance of the endemic Galapagos slipper lobster.
5. Determining if a bay on Isabela Island is a nursery for smooth hammerhead sharks by tagging hammerhead sharks and installing survey buoys. The research team would need to tow a 7-meter fishing skiff and base out of a cove in western Isabela with 3 scientists on board.