Situated approximately 906 kilometres west of continental Ecuador, the Galápagos Archipelago is a province comprising 18 main islands, 3 smaller islands, and 107 rocks and islets. Geologically situated on the Nazca Plate, the islands were forged by repeated seismic and volcanic activity over a hotspot in the Earth's crust. This extreme isolation has fostered high levels of endemism; species such as the marine iguana, the Galápagos penguin, and the giant tortoise evolved here independent of mainland influence. It was this unique biogeography that Charles Darwin cataloged during the HMS Beagle’s five-week survey in 1835, providing the empirical foundation for his seminal work, On the Origin of Species, which fundamentally altered scientific understanding of biological adaptation.

Anthropogenic pressures have historically threatened the archipelago's ecological integrity. Between the late 18th and early 19th centuries, whaling fleets and fur seal hunters decimated populations of whales and tortoises, extracting the latter for fresh meat during extended oceanic voyages. The subsequent colonization brought invasive fauna—specifically feral goats, rats, and pigs—which ravaged native vegetation and preyed upon eggs. In response to this degradation, the Ecuadorian government designated 97% of the land area as a National Park in 1959. This was later bolstered by the 1998 Special Law for Galápagos, which established the Galápagos Marine Reserve and introduced strict biosecurity protocols to prevent further biological introductions.

Contemporary management of the islands focuses on mitigating the impact of an exponentially growing tourism sector, which saw visitor numbers swell from roughly 40,000 in the 1990s to over 270,000 annually in recent years. The Galápagos National Park Directorate enforces a rigorous zoning system that restricts visitor access to specific sites, requiring all tourists to be accompanied by licensed naturalist guides. While these regulations aim to minimize the ecological footprint, the economic reliance on tourism revenue creates complex tension between conservation mandates and development. Revenue generated from entry fees is critical, funding not only park operations and naval patrols but also municipal projects for the local human population of approximately 30,000 residents.

Beyond local management, the archipelago faces systemic threats from global climatic phenomena, particularly the El Niño-Southern Oscillation (ENSO). These periodic warming events suppress the nutrient-rich cold currents that sustain the marine food web, causing starvation events among marine iguanas and seabirds. Compounding this is the persistent challenge of illegal industrial fishing fleets operating just outside the Exclusive Economic Zone, targeting migratory species like sharks. Long-term resilience strategies now emphasize participatory governance, where local fishing cooperatives transition toward experiential tourism and sustainable aquaculture, thereby aligning economic incentives with the preservation of biodiversity.