Quito (AFP) – A scientific collection with specimens of 7,500 species that inhabit the Ecuadorian Galapagos Islands was opened to the public after being reserved for researchers for six decades, the NGO Charles Darwin Foundation (CDF) reported on Thursday.

First modification: 02/13/2026 - 12:43

With flora and fauna unique in the world, the archipelago located 1,000 km from the coast of Ecuador and a Natural Heritage of Humanity, is part of the world biosphere reserve.

Its fragile ecosystem has been a living laboratory for scientists from around the world for decades.

Opening the CDF collection "brings science closer to society and connects residents and tourists with the biological wealth that makes the archipelago unique," the organization said in a statement.

Its content, which will be exhibited free of charge and permanently in the island territory, is "a scientific heritage of Ecuador and a strategic tool for studies in biodiversity, taxonomy, genetics, evolution and speciation processes" in the Galapagos, he added.

For decades, only scientists had access to 137,000 specimens of more than 7,500 endemic and introduced species to the "enchanted" islands.

Among the preserved animals are the Galapagos albatross and the giant tortoises that give their name to the archipelago, as well as invasive species such as rats and the vampire fly, the islands' greatest enemies.

© 2026 AFP

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