Rare shark spotted for the first time in Panama’s eastern Pacific
The elusive prickly shark was observed during a submarine expedition to the depths of the Cordillera de Coiba seamounts, a biodiversity hotspot and marine protected area.
STRI special events, February 2024
STRI Advisory Board visit to Panama, Punta Culebra STEAM Camp, Bug night at Biomuseo, Josh visits Fortuna Station and more!
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.
How fallen leaves sustain tropical forests
Decomposing Foliage: A 17-Year Study Unravels the Vital Nutrient Exchange in Tropical Forests of Panama.
Tropical tree fern repurposes its dead leaves
A species of tree fern found only in Panama uses ‘zombie leaves’ or reanimated dead leaf fronds, and turns them into root structures that feed the mother plant.
Does Cocoa Need Fungi to Grow?
How can we make agriculture more sustainable and resilient?
An extinct mangrove forest discovered on Panama’s Barro Colorado Island
A volcanic eruption 22 million years ago triggered a sediment flow that preserved a mangrove forest around what is now Barro Colorado Island, providing a better glimpse of the vegetation that existed in a highly changing area.
Involving local students in the study of algal blooms on Isla Colón, in Bocas Del Toro, Panama.
Students in Bocas del Toro helped Smithsonian researchers collect environmental data to better understand what factors influence the proliferation of algal deposits in the largest island of the archipelago
Economic Complexities of Forest Restoration: What’s in it for landowners?
A steady income stream incentivizes tropical landowners to reforest.
STRI at COP 28: A call for nature-based climate solutions and global collaboration
Experts from the Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute emphasized nature-based solutions, discussed ocean resilience, and launched the GEO-TREES initiative for global forest carbon monitoring.
