Galapagos, the project's first international collection, was a journey back in time. Considered a site of world importance for its role in the formulation of Charles Darwin's Theory of Evolution, the islands have unique biodiversity with a wide variety of endemic species, many of which only exist there. The site is therefore considered a rich natural laboratory.
In collaboration with the Galapagos Science Center (GSC), located on San Cristobal Island, and with researchers Diana Pazmiño and Margarita Brandt, we obtained the necessary authorizations to collect our samples in strictly protected locations.
We headed for a small bay called Tagus Cove, located on Isabela Island, on an expedition led by Captain Yuri Chavez, who provided us with the necessary infrastructure and plenty of fresh sashimi. Over the course of six days at sea, our team successfully collected and recorded samples of Tubastraea tagusensis at its type locality. The depth of the collection point reached 12 meters, but we stayed at 6 meters, the depth where the corals were most abundant.
Specifically in the case of the Galapagos National Park, a protected area where Tubastrea tagusensis is a native species As a result, only four whole colonies (two of each species) could be effectively removed from the substrate. Otherwise, we were allowed to break only three polyps from a colony, enough for our research.
Back in San Cristóvão, we stored the material collected in the laboratory and went diving at Cerro Tijeretas, a tourist site characterized by clear waters, lots of marine life and a beautiful view. Getting there was a challenge, as the path was a long trail and we were going to snorkel. In other words, we didn't have a support boat either.
We put on our backpacks with diving and collecting equipment and went in search of Tubastraea coccinea colonies. Unlike the former, this species is also invasive in the Galapagos.
While snorkeling and looking for coral, we were surprised by sea lions, spotted iguanas, penguins, sharks and a variety of colorful fish. It was like being inside an aquarium.
During the first week of our stay in the archipelago, we took the opportunity to make the necessary collections so that the other week could be dedicated to processing the samples in the CSG laboratory. There, we had the support of a dear team and we stayed in the university accommodation. It was an intense few days of field and laboratory work. In the end, we came back with very important data for the segment of our research.
Karine Venegas Macieira
