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.

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By: Beth King

Marine Biology Conservation Biology Global Change Biodiversity Physical Monitoring Fisheries and Marine Conservation Sustaining a Biodiverse Planet Naos purple Sean Connolly

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Butterflies of Pipeline Road:
the new book that will make
you fall for the butterflies
of Panama

Butterflies of Pipeline Road is a concise and colorful field guide that brings together 120 of the most commonly observed butterflies from one of the most biodiverse trails in Panama: Pipeline Road.

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By: Rosannette Quesada-Hidalgo

Taxonomy Biodiversity Entomology Zoology Sustaining a Biodiverse Planet purple Annette Aiello

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Archaeologists study the connections
between the deceased buried at
Cerro Juan Díaz, Panama

Individuals recovered at the archaeological site of Cerro Juan Díaz shed more light on how the local communities buried and honored their dead.

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By: Vanessa Crooks

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Hungry bats: Listen up

Spix’s disc-winged bats shrieked when they were first shown mealworms, a new food for them. Were they alarmed, or were they communicating their excitement to their fellow bats?

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By: Beth King

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

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Best wishes for a happy
and healthy 2025!

Last year we celebrated 100 years of tropical biology research, a testament to the teamwork and commitment of the STRI team to science across national boundaries. This year will bring new challenges, but our dedication to the study of tropical forests and reefs will not waver.

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STRI special events,
November-December 2024

BCI 100 Plant and Ecosystem Science volumes online, Q?Bus visits, STRI celebrates Panama and more.

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2023 Smithsonian Secretary Award, Family of tent-making bats sets up camp in the Tupper Plaza and more.

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Tropical forests may be approaching a critical high-temperature threshold, but there is still time to act

A new study in Nature combining satellite thermal- and in situ warming data found that a percentage of tropical leaves are already reaching the temperatures at which they can no longer function.

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Byline: Adapted from a Northern Arizona University (NAU) release.

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Commitments, partnerships, and hope: The Smithsonian at the Our Ocean Conference in Panama

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.

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Text by Leila Nilipour

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“Python of the Sea” study highlights marine biodiversity underestimates

Most ocean life remains to be discovered. Because fish and many other animals that live in the ocean often have larvae or other, microscopic life stages that drift freely in ocean water, counting species by genetic barcoding of plankton samples adds to counts of species recorded as adults and is a highly efficient way to understand what lives in the ocean and how biodiversity changes as we modify the ocean environment.

Marine Biology Zoology Biodiversity Natural History Origins of Species and Societies Sustaining a Biodiverse Planet Bocas del Toro purple Rachel Collin

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