Wood eaters
Termites could play an important role in climate change
September 22, 2022
A study spanning six continents explored the role of termites and microorganisms in wood decay.
A study spanning six continents explored the role of termites and microorganisms in wood decay.
After 14 thousand years of living in confinement and without the threat of predators, the white-faced capuchin monkeys on the Coiba National Park islands have begun to exhibit behaviors that have not been recorded in the mainland populations. For example, they are highly terrestrial and have learned to use stones as tools. Listen to doctoral student in animal behavior and former STRI fellow, Claudio Monteza, tell us this story.
At the 2023 Our Ocean Conference in Panama (Mar. 2-3), STRI and partners welcomed John Kerry, United States Special Presidential Envoy for Climate and representatives of civil society, philanthropy and science sectors to celebrate a regional initiative to protect the Tropical Eastern Pacific.
The 8th Our Ocean Conference concluded with 341 commitments worth nearly $20 billion, including the expansion of Banco Volcán Managed Resources Area in the Panamanian Caribbean that led Panama to protect over 54% of its oceans.
As the first marine- and coastal- policy expert to join STRI’s marine staff scientists, Panamanian Ana K. Spalding will work with coastal communities to understand what knowledge is needed to foster wellbeing for both oceans and people.
Socially foraging bats may find food faster by listening in to the search-phase calls of their group members
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
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.
Through advanced isotopic analyses, Rodnyel Arosemena seeks to understand how fish in the Caribbean and the Pacific that had a common ancestor take advantage of the resources of their different environments today.
What started as a student summer job, became Anibal Velarde’s life’s work. Over fifty years later, he is still at the Smithsonian