Discovering the Galápagos

Alex Hearn is a marine ecologist who is researching whale shark migrations around the Galapagos Islands. He is a professor at the Universidad San Francisco de Quito (USFQ) and the Galapagos Science Center. He is also a founding member and Board President of the regional research network, MigraMar, and in 2020 was named co-champion of the Mission Blue Galapagos Hope Spot. Alex's projects use acoustic and satellite telemetry to establish the migratory pathways of sharks at different times of the year in the southern Galapagos and coastal mainland Ecuador. He led a multi-institutional team of biologists to develop a blueprint for improved conservation outside the Galapagos Marine Reserve, which resulted in the creation of the new Hermandad Reserve in 2022. Alex's work has been featured in stand-alone documentaries and in the iconic Blue Planet II and Galapagos documentary series.