Kramer, Peter

English

Aquatic Commons

A NEW YEAR'S LEITER FROM THE PRESIDENT OF THE 
CHARLES DARWIN FO UNDATION 
Dear Friends of the Galapagos, 
Last year I spent from July to September in Ecuador, mostly in the Galapagos. I discussed current 
activities with our scientific staff and we drew up the plans for 1984. In August I took the chair at the 43rd 
CDF Council Meeting, held on Santa Cruz Island. 
Beyond all doubt the most important event of 1983 was neither planned nor expected: the warm, rainy 
season was not merely warmer and wetter but it lasted from November to July instead offrom December 
to April. It is always warmer and wetter when the archipelago comes under the influence of the ocean 
current known as EI Nino. The effect varies enormously but in 1982-83 it was more extreme than at any 
time since records were kept. Rainfall at the Darwin Station was ten times the average and twenty times the 
level of dry years. The temperature of the sea rose to 30°C and warm surface water has an important 
characteristic: it is poor in nutrients. 
Neither the Masked Booby nor the Swallow-tailed Gull bred. successfully in 1983. 
Photo by Fritz P61king 
The abnormal warmth and the nutrient-poor seawater had a powerful influence on Galapagos plant and 
animal communities. All animals which depend directly or indirectly on marine vegetation suffered 
heavily. Not only sea-lions, fur seals, marine iguanas, penguins, flightless cormorants but corals, sea-
urchins and many other marine animals also died in large numbers or, if they could, wandered away in 
search of food. The sea-birds, particularly swallow-tailed gulls, albatrosses and boobies, disappeared 
completely until July-August, when they returned in smaller numbers. 
On land, where lack of water usually restricts growth, the picture was quite different: plants flourished, the 
vegetation grew extraordinarily lush and the animals profitted from the plenty. The finches multiplied and 
the land iguanas sat well-nourished amid the rich greenery. 
8 
Noticias de Galapagos, vol. 39 1984
A catastrophe for some, a lotus-land for others, one might think. But these events have a different 
meaning when we see evidence that such Nino years have occurred in the past, even though scattered at 
long intervals in the islands' history. It is simply that we have never experienced them in our time. For 
proof, look for instance at the deep gullies eroded by floods on the normally arid island of Santa Fe. But 
the Galapagos animal and plant species have survived thanks to the way they have adapted. This they will 
surely do again, except where man has reduced their numbers to the point where they cannot survive such 
crises. If such a disastrous EI Nino year had occurred in the 1940's, the Galapagos Fur Seal might well have 
become extinct. Because of human persecution, its numbers had been drastically reduced at that time but 
fortunately years of conservation have successfully restored the size of the population. 
For us visitors, who have almost always known the islands to be arid, this was an overwhelming experience: 
endless rainstorms, huge fresh-water lakes on the plains and rushing rivers on the slopes of the volcanoes, 
which often lasted for weeks and ended as waterfalls as they tumbled into the sea. 
In many ways, the extraordinary weather conditions have made conservation more difficult but that 
makes last year's achievements even more significant. On Floreana, for the first time it proved possible to 
protect the threatened Hawaiian Petrels from the introduced Black Rats. This was done by using poisoned 
baits contained in plastic tubes to keep them from the rain and from other animals. The persistent rain 
caused the collapse of many nesting burrows and many adults could not find enough food for their young 
in the impoverished sea but for the first time the rats killed no young. The work goes on and, if the funds 
are forthcoming, it will be extended to other petrel colonies and other islands. 
Another important success was with the Land Iguanas: some of the captive-bred young of the almost 
exterminated populations of southern lsabela and Santa Cruz were released on their native islands. 
Several months later, some of these youngsters were observed again. They were very lively (perhaps the 
abundant vegetation had helped them) so we know that at least a proportion of them had escaped the feral 
cats. 
These are only two of a great many conservation projects which your contributions to our funds made 
possible last year and I thank you cordially on behalf of our Foundation. Please continue to support this 
work in the coming year. In case you have overlooked your subscription for 1983 you can still send it to 
any of the addresses given on the inside front Cover. 
I take this opportunity of offering you my very best wishes for 1984. 
9 
Peter Kramer 
President, Charles Darwin Foundation 
Noticias de Galapagos, vol. 39 1984


New Year's letter from the President of the Charles Darwin Foundation

http://aquaticcommons.org/8597/1/NG_39_1984_Kramer_New_years_letter.pdf

New Year's letter from the President of the Charles Darwin Foundation

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