People: Gregory Lewbart, Kenneth Lohmann, Maximilian Hischfeld, Juan Pablo Muñoz, Daniela Alarcon-Ruales, Diane Deresienski, Eli Cohen, et. al
Virtually nothing is known about the physiological and health parameters of wildlife in Galapagos. With such small and isolated populations, these animals are at risk of extinction due to natural and anthropogenic events. The more we know about these animals, especially about their health, the better equipped we will be to protect and conserve them when necessary. Our research group has published 10 studies to date on the health status of various species in Galapagos. The plan is to continue collecting data related to a variety of measures, health standards, and various topics related to animal physiology.
The idea of this research project is to work with local and national experts for each species and to come up with mini projects that can be carried out each year including various species. These mini-projects include
- Measuring the vertebrae of marine iguanas with ultrasound (a long-term study),
- Understanding the coloration of terrestrial and marine iguanas by comparative study of skin biopsies,
- Establishing the baseline health for the Española lava lizard (Microlophus delanonis),
- Evaluating the possibility of transfusion medicine through cross testing in Galapagos sea turtles (Chelonia mydas and Eretmochelys imbricata), and
- Studying the circulation of Toxoplasma gondii in Galapagos seabirds