People: Carlos Mena, Phil Page, Steve Walsh, María Sampedro, Lorena Benítez, Patricia Martínez, María Belén Zapata, Manuel Narváez, Fernando Astudillo, Ariel Pila, Ricardo Torres, and Cristian Javier Serrano Heredia
The beaches of the Galapagos Islands are substantially affected by the volcanic origins of the islands, recent volcanic history and lava flow patterns, tectonic uplift and subsidence, the presence and extent of mangrove areas, the direction of persistent swells, bathymetric conditions, disturbance regimes, and sources of sand, shells, corals. In addition, anthropogenic factors play a role in changing beach morphology. The change in the shape of the beaches has a direct impact on their function, as well as the ecosystem goods and services they provide, and the recreational and visitor services for tourists and residents. Therefore, an evaluation of the general state of the beaches and the identification of the main social and ecological forces of change that affect these ecosystems is of vital importance for taking actions in accordance with the identified vulnerabilities.
Our project’s goal is to evaluate the vulnerability of Galapagos beaches and the main factors that have impacted them in the last 7 years, so that both the scientific community and decision makers can anticipate the intensity and frequency of these changes and prioritize their technical and economic efforts. Currently in Galapagos, knowledge related to the physical composition of beaches and their processes is very limited. In this sense, through this project we propose to expand this knowledge, complementing the effort previously made in 2016, where through the use of geotechnologies a beach vulnerability index was calculated. Thus, we are in the possibility of generating solid knowledge in relation to the main processes in these ecosystems.