A lifelong passion for tropical
Insects leads to generous support

A fund set up by STRI staff scientist Annette Aiello intends to provide long-term funding for the preservation and management of the insect collection at the Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute in Panama, highlighting the importance of reference collections for the advancement of science.

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by Vanessa Crooks

Taxonomy Entomology Biodiversity Botany Natural History Zoology Sustaining a Biodiverse Planet Earl S. Tupper smithsonian-yellow Annette Aiello

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Hopeful News for Caribbean Reefs? Low Oxygen May Be More Deadly for Staghorn Corals than High Temperatures

First experimental comparison of the effects of temperature and oxygen deprivation on three key Caribbean coral species shows that nightly low oxygen tips the balance of species survival away from tall, elegant, reef-building corals, towards lower, weedy corals, simplifying coral communities.

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by Beth King

Marine Biology Conservation Biology Global Change Biodiversity Physical Monitoring Fisheries and Marine Conservation Sustaining a Biodiverse Planet smithsonian-yellow

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STRI special events, July 2024

BCI 100 media visit, Monthly Sloth Census, Children's Day at Punta Culebra and more.

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Why are there suddenly so many bleached corals along the Caribbean coast of Panama?

A massive coral bleaching event in Panama’s Guna Yala islands along the eastern Caribbean coast signals a major problem with rising ocean temperatures and their long-term effects.

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By Vanessa Crooks

Marine Biology Fisheries and Marine Conservation Evolutionary Biology Ecosystem Ecology Global Change Physical Monitoring Sustaining a Biodiverse Planet smithsonian-yellow

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How fallen leaves sustain tropical forests

Decomposing Foliage: A 17-Year Study Unravels the Vital Nutrient Exchange in Tropical Forests of Panama.

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By Leila Nilipour

Forest Ecology Soil Science Long Term Monitoring Ecosystem Ecology Plant Physiology Connections in nature: Plants, Animals, Microbes and Environments Barro Colorado Island smithsonian-yellow S. Joseph Wright

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STRI special events,
October / November 2023

BCI 100-year celebration at the Panama Canal Museum, Visit of the Changuinola Labor Institute, New Resilience Initiative Program Coordinator, Latin America and Caribbean Climate Week and more

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The highlands of Panama, Central Panama and Darien identified among the 50 Threatened Amphibian Landscapes worldwide

A groundbreaking study assessed the extinction risk of more than 8,000 amphibian species worldwide and concluded that two out of five amphibians are threatened.

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Byline: Leila Nilipour

Disease Ecology Herpetology Conservation Biology Biodiversity Global Change Long Term Monitoring Sustaining a Biodiverse Planet Gamboa smithsonian-yellow Roberto Ibañez

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Scientists from the Global South innovate
to track ongoing amphibian pandemic

The new diagnostic test showed comparable or even better results than the gold-standard assay recommended for the diagnosis of chytridiomycosis.

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Text by Leila Nilipour

Herpetology Disease Ecology Molecular Genetics and Genomics Biodiversity Evolutionary Biology Sustaining a Biodiverse Planet Gamboa smithsonian-yellow Roberto Ibañez

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Artificial fertilization key to rescuing Panama’s endangered frogs from extinction

Animals in captivity may have trouble breeding, so to keep amphibian species from dying out, researchers are discovering new ways to help them reproduce.

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Text and photos by Beth King
Cover by Steven Paton

Herpetology Conservation Biology Developmental Biology Biodiversity Disease Ecology Zoology Sustaining a Biodiverse Planet Gamboa smithsonian-yellow Roberto Ibañez

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Barro Colorado 100 years
of Discovery and Wonder exhibit
opens in Washington

Barro Colorado Island Research Station in Panama celebrates upcoming 100th birthday with an exhibition at the US National Museum of Natural History.

Forest Ecology Biodiversity Natural History Long-term monitoring Animal Behavior Ecology Barro Colorado Barro Colorado Island smithsonian-yellow

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