Elyce Gosselin (Flag #17) traveled to Ecuador to study the ecology and conservation genomics of red and hoary bats species found in the Galapagos Islands. Globally, bats face many conservation challenges including habitat destruction, invasive species, and climate change. Island species face additional challenges, including smaller population sizes, lower genetic diversity, and an unpredictable environment. Genetic and genomic data generated as a part of Elyce’s project will provide novel information about the phylogenomics, landscape genomics and population genomics of these two unique bat species – information that is vital for effective bat conservation and management.

Also critical to ensuring long-term bat conservation is Elyce and her team’s work with the community to train local scientists to monitor the bat populations, and with Galapagos National Park Director Danny Rueda Córdova to create a long-term, data-informed monitoring and management plan. The project is unique in that they are prioritizing the empowerment of locals to conduct research in their own communities, and they have been actively looking for ways to involve and educate the public from the beginning. This project and expedition form part of Elyce’s Ph.D. thesis at the University of Idaho, USA.