MISSION FOR HOPE

With Rolex's support, Mission Blue conducted a two-week research expedition across the Galápagos Islands to gather crucial data for conservancy efforts

- JAMIE TAN

The Galápagos Islands and their waters are amongst the most biodiverse regions in the world. The environment is also home to an unusually large number of endemic species, due to the remote location in the Pacific Ocean, some 900 km from continental Ecuador’s west coast. This unique set of qualities has made the Galápagos an especially important focus of ocean conservation efforts.

Indeed, much has been accomplished. The Ecuadorian government, for instance, established the Galápagos Marine Reserve to protect the islands’ waters in 1998, then expanded the reserve’s coverage by approximately 50 per cent in 2021 to its present size of 133,000 km2. Ocean conservation non-profit Mission Blue, founded by the famed marine biologist and Rolex Testimonee Sylvia Earle, also designated the waters of the Galápagos as one of its first “Hope Spots” in 2010.

Far from being a one and done process, ocean conservation is an ongoing endeavour. To that end, Earle led a multi-institutional team of scientists on a twoweek research expedition across the Galápagos Islands Hope Spot in 2022. Conducted with Rolex’s support, the Mission Blue Galápagos expedition worked to assess the impact of the existing protections that are in place, as well as to identify the challenges and opportunities for future conservation efforts.

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