In this launch of the Galapagos series, this book provides a broad framing assessment of the current status of social and ecological systems in the Galapagos Islands, and the feedback that explicitly links people to the environment.  It also highlights the challenges to conservation imposed by tourism in the Galapagos Islands and the attendant migration of people from mainland Ecuador to service the burgeoning tourism industry. Further, there is an emphasize on the status of the terrestrial and marine environments that form the very foundation of the deep attraction to the Islands by tourists, residents, scholars, and conservationists.

Preface.- Foreword.- Science and Conservation in the Galapagos Islands.- Changing Views of the Galapagos.- Perspectives for the Study of the Galapagos Islands: Complex Systems and Human- Environment Interactions.- The Socio-Economic Paradox of Galapagos.- Environmental Crisis and the Production of Alternatives: Conservation Practice(s) in   the Galapagos Islands.- The Double Bind of Tourism in Galapagos Society.- The Evolution of Ecotourism: The Story of the Galapagos Islands and the Special Law of 1998.- People Live Here: Maternal and Child Health on Isla Isabela, Galapagos.- Characterizing Contemporary Land Use/Cover Change on Isabela Island, Galapagos.- Investigating the Coastal Water Quality of the Galapagos Islands, Ecuador.- Research in Agricultural and Urban Areas in Galapagos a Biological Perspective.- A Geographical Approach to Optimization of Response to Invasive Species.- From Whaling to Whale Watching: Cetacean Presence and Species Diversity in the Galapagos Marine Reserve.- Index.