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Caterpillar-like baby hummingbird

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Potential caterpillar mimicry in
White-necked Jacobin chicks
discovered in Panama.

A baby hummingbird hatches. But it has fluffy feathers on its back, looking just like a dangerous caterpillar. Could this be something unusual among hummingbirds?

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By: Rosannette Quesada Hidalgo

Animal Behavior Zoology Natural History Biodiversity Origins of Species and Societies Gamboa

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Caterpillar-like
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New plant species

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Six new species named:
3 from Panama, 3 from Colombia

Plant collections are full of surprises. It may take decades to id plant samples, but it’s worth the effort, especially when some of these species are not known from anywhere else on Earth.

Taxonomy Botany Biodiversity Exploration Natural History Conservation Biology Origins of Species and Societies Earl S. Tupper

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New plant
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Leatherback migrations

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Leatherback sea turtle behavior: stay near home or set off across the ocean?

A new study finds that leatherback sea turtles tend to migrate rather than forage when chlorophyll, primary productivity, and sea surface temperature levels are lower.

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By Olivia Milloway

Herpetology Marine Biology Animal Behavior Movement Ecology Conservation Biology Physical Monitoring Remote Sensing Global Change Sustaining a Biodiverse Planet

navy-blue Hector M. Guzman

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Leatherback
Migrations

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Noisy bunch

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Researchers count manatees using their chatter to recognize individuals

An improved method of identifying manatees by their vocalizations makes it easier to tell them apart, to better estimate their populations and help efforts for their conservation.

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By Vanessa Crooks

Marine Biology Fisheries and Marine Conservation Conservation Biology Animal Behavior Biodiversity Physical Monitoring Sustaining a Biodiverse Planet Bocas del Toro Naos

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Ana Spalding

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Anthropology Fisheries and Marine Conservation Geography and Biogeography

I thrive on collaboration, teamwork and building new and exciting interdisciplinary approaches needed to address pressing challenges in marine environments. My contributions vary in sector and scope, but my most important accomplishments relate to outcomes from working with communities and decision-makers to identify needs and science-based solutions.

Adrienne Arsht Community-Based Resilience Solutions Initiative

We use social science and interdisciplinary research methods to study the links between people and natural resource use, and access. Broadly, our work encompasses three themes: the future of ocean governance, human dimensions of coupled natural human systems, and the links between development, policy, and socio-environmental change.

What is the study of the ‘human dimension’ in the context of the natural environment?

The human dimension—the many ways through which we understand the past, present, and future of human interactions with the natural environment—includes all things human: behavior, culture, societal structures, education, policy, and law, among others. Importantly, human dimensions can be scientific, analytical, interpretive, applied, and interdisciplinary.

Social science disciplines help us understand the human dimension, taking scientific approaches to the study of, for instance, human behavior (i.e., psychology), human societies and structures (i.e., sociology), and politics and power at local, national, and global scales (i.e., political science).

The humanities (e.g., history, literature, philosophy, arts, etc.) focus on finding meaning across environmental phenomena. Often, the study of the human dimension of the environment is needed to help inform broader and more lasting solutions. In this case, we use applied disciplines as applied economics or policy analysis to inform decision-making. And finally, some fields, such as environmental anthropology or human geography, draw from the methods of both the social and natural sciences to activate our knowledge of both.

What is adaptive capacity, in the context of environmental change?

While definitions of adaptive capacity varies across the literature, in the context of our study of California shellfish farmers’ perceptions and strategies used to adapt to changing ocean conditions (Ward et al. 2022), we define adaptive capacity as: the ability of aquaculture operators to adjust to challenges caused by OA and other environmental stressors, to take advantage of opportunities to adapt to these challenges, and to effectively respond to their consequences. This useful definition can be applied more broadly to expanding studies that assess adaptive strategies and use these to inform environmental policies that are aligned with stakeholder needs.

M.A., University of Miami, Rosenstiel School of Marine and Atmospheric Science, 2004

Ph.D., University of California, Santa Cruz, 2011

Shellock, R. J., Cvitanovic, C., Mackay., M., McKinnon, M. C., Blythe, J., Kelly, R., van Putten, I.E., Tuohy, P., Bailey, M., Begossi, A., Crona, B., Fakoya, K. A., Ferreira, B. P., Ferrer, A. J. G., Frangoudes, K., Gobin, J., Goh, H.C., Haapasaari, P., Hardesty, B. D., Häussermann, V., Hoareau, K., Hornidge, A. K., Isaacs, M., Kraan, M., Li, Y., Liu, M. L., Lopes, P. F. M., Mlakar, M., Morrison, T., Oxenford, H., Pecl, G. T.., Penca, J., Robinson, C., Selim, S., Skern-Mauritzen, M., Soejima, K., Soto, D., Spalding, A. K., Vadrot, A., Vaidianu, N., Webber, Wisz, M. C. (2022). A global perspective on turning barriers into enablers of female leadership within interdisciplinary marine research organisations. OneEarth.

Crosman, K., Allison, E. A., Ota, Y., Cisneros-Montemayor, A., Swartz, W., Bailey, M., Barclay, K. M., Blume, G., Colléter, M., Fabinyi, M., Faustman, E. M., Griffin, P. J., Hanich, Q., Harden-Davies, H., Kelly, R. P., Kenny, T., Klinger, T., Kittinger, J., Nakamura, K., Pauwelussen, A., Pictou, S., Rothschild, C., Seto, K. L., Singh, G., Spalding, A. K. (2022). Social Equity is Key to Sustainable Ocean Governance. Ocean Sustainability. 1(1): 1-9.

Sullivan-Stack, J., D'Iorio, M., Spalding, A. K., Chan, F., Pearsall, D., Maxwell, S., Aburto, O., Brooks, C., Duffy, E., Friedlander, A., Gaines, S., Gerber, L., Hines, E. M., Leslie, H., Lester, S., Lynham, J., McCauley, D., Micheli, F., Nickols, K., Palumbi, S., Pike, B., Pikitch, E., Sala, E., Sancho, G. A., Suman, D. O., Wilhelm, A., Wenzel, L., Sykora-Bodie, S., Fulton-Bennett, H., Cabral, R., Bradley, D., Mayorga, J., Dunn, D., Grorud-Colvert, K., Hinrichs, S., Fonseca, K., Shrestha, J., Cheng, S. (2022). A Scientific Synthesis to Inform Effective Protected Areas in the U.S. Ocean. Frontiers in Marine Science 9.

Grorud-Colvert, K., Sullivan-Stack, J., Roberts, C., Constant, V., Horta e Costa, B., Pike, P., Kingston, N., Laffoley, D., Sala, E., Claudet, J., Friedlander, A., Gill, D., Lester, S., Day, J., Gonçalves, E., Rand, M., Villagomez, A., Ahmadia, G., Ban, N.C., Gurney, G., Spalding, A. K., Bennett, N., Briggs, J., Morgan, L., Moffitt, R., Deguignet, M., Wenzel, L., Pikitch, E., Darling, E., Hameed, S., DiCarlo, G., Guidetti, P., Cury, P., Shah, N., Harris, J., Sack, K., Cao, L., Fernandez, M., Lubchenco, J. (2021). The MPA Guide: A Framework to Achieve Global Goals for Ocean Protection. Science 373(6560): eabf0861.

Spalding, A. K. and DeYcaza, R. 2020. Navigating Shifting Regimes of Ocean Governance: From UNCLOS to Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 14. Environment and Society 11(1): 5-26.

Dundas, S. J., Levine A. S., Lewison R. L., Doerr A., White C., Galloway A. W. E., Garza C., Hazen E. L., Padilla-Gamiño J., Samhouri J. F., Spalding A. K., Stier A., White J. W. (2020). Integrating Oceans into Climate Policy: Any Green New Deal needs a splash of blue. Conservation Letters e12716.

Spalding, A. K. (2020). Towards a Political Ecology of Lifestyle Migration: Local Perspectives on socio‐ecological change in Bocas del Toro, Panama. Published online 30 January 2020. Area.

SpaldingA2 [at] si.edu

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Ana Spalding

Name

Ana

Last name

Spalding

Position

Staff Scientist

Discipline (Private):

Human Geography

Marine Policy

Environmental Anthropology

Misunderstood!

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Panama Bay Hydromedusae:
small, elegant, and misunderstood

We hope to identify the different species of hydromedusae and their relationship with seasonal upwelling in the coastal waters of the Bay of Panama.

Biodiversity Marine Biology Microbial Ecology Molecular Genetics and Genomics Connections in nature: Plants, Animals, Microbes and Environments Naos STRI Talks Panama

navy-blue Rachel Collin

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Paths of yesterday

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History and archeology
of the transisthmian roads of Panama

Explorations have revealed what remains of the roads and new data on their state of conservation, their route and its historical importance for Panama.

Anthropology Archaeology Exploration Geography and Biogeography Paleontology and Paleobiology Sustaining a Biodiverse Planet Webinar Noviembre STRI 2022

navy-blue Ashley Sharpe

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Paths of
yesterday

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Integrated learning

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A center to explore. Uniting Through STEAM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics) Programming. Seminar (in Spanish) by Sabrina Camaran

Learn more about the Panama American Center (PAC).

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Integrated
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What’s for lunch?

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As the ocean heats up hungrier predators take control

Marine predation intensifies in warmer waters; could reshape ocean communities as climate changes.

Conservation Biology Fisheries and Marine Conservation Global Change Long-term monitoring Marine Biology Natural History Sustaining a Biodiverse Planet Naos Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute

navy-blue Mark Torchin

Alternative Title:

What’s
for lunch?

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Manatee lagoon

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Have Antillean manatees
crossed the Panama Canal?

Over half a century ago, a group of manatees from Bocas del Toro was flown into the artificial Gatun Lake to control the abundance of aquatic plants and for public health reasons. Where are they now?

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Text by Leila Nilipour

Historical Ecology Invasion Biology Ecosystem Ecology Marine Biology Conservation Biology Geography and Biogeography Sustaining a Biodiverse Planet Naos Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute

navy-blue Hector M. Guzman

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Manatee
lagoon