Charles Haskins Townsend was an American zoologist and naturalist who dedicated his career to marine biology and wildlife conservation. For thirty-five years, from 1902 to 1937, he served as the director of the New York Aquarium, establishing himself as a prominent figure in the study of aquatic life and public natural history education.
Townsend is particularly remembered for his pioneering efforts to save the Galapagos tortoise from extinction. Recognizing the severe threats facing the species, he led two major scientific expeditions to the Galapagos Islands in 1928 and 1933. During these journeys, Townsend collected nearly two hundred tortoise specimens and transported them back to New York.
To ensure the survival of the species, Townsend established more than a dozen breeding colonies across the United States. These efforts proved highly successful, and the offspring from these colonies were later used to repopulate the tortoises on their native Galapagos islands, securing a vital legacy for early twentieth-century conservation biology.