Mutualism under pressure: new research in Panama shows a plant’s ability to keep its defender ants happy
Scientists discovered that swollen-thorn acacias invested more in ant rewards during a drought, suggesting that mutualistic interactions play a crucial role in the plant’s survival, even during climate stress.
How katydid songs expand researchers’ knowledge of tropical insects
Scientists at the STRI Arthropod Lab collaborate with researchers at Cornell’s K. Lisa Yang Center for Conservation Bioacoustics to use sound to monitor insect populations on Barro Colorado Island.
Remembering Luis D’Croz
Tribute to a tireless activist in the defense of the oceans
Marine resource use has influenced human population on the Central American Isthmus for millennia
In a major regional review, scientists reveal the critical interplay of biological, cultural, and environmental factors in shaping past human reliance on marine resources along the Pacific coasts of the Central American Isthmus.
STRI special events, June 2025
STRI Unsung Heroes 2025, New book by Irene Kopelman, Celebrating Scientific Excellence, Science and Wonder at the Summit Botanical gardens and more.
Human fishing reshaped Caribbean reef food webs, 7000-year old exposed fossilized reefs reveal
A groundbreaking study of 7000-year-old exposed coral reef fossils reveals how human fishing has transformed Caribbean reef food webs: as sharks declined by 75% and fish preferred by humans became smaller, prey fish species flourished —doubling in numbers and growing larger. This unprecedented look into prehistoric reef communities shows how the loss of top predators cascaded through the...
Túngara frog tadpoles that grew up in the city developed faster but ended up being smaller.
Have you ever wondered how city life affects animals like frogs? A new study reveals that urban Túngara frog tadpoles develop faster —but end up being smaller — than tadpoles from forests, probably resulting in smaller adults. This might be an adaptation to warmer urban puddles with fewer predators or to constantly changing environmental conditions in the city.
Above the tropical forest canopy, sensors capture the fluxes of gases between the trees and the atmosphere
The air moving above the forest carries valuable information about how trees absorb carbon, and what may happen in the future as global temperatures rise.
Drawing out the secrets of coral reef resilience to high ocean temperatures
Researchers compared DNA from corals and their symbiotic organisms from two sites along the Pacific coast of Panama to better understand how the different members of the coral holobiont influence their ability to tolerate temperature extremes.
STRI special events, May 2025
STRI soccer League 2025, Visit of MiAmbiente officials, Japanese Embassy visit, Big thanks to Marianne Prahl and more.
