The
Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute (STRI) in
PanamaPanama , officially the Republic of Panama , is the southernmost country of Central America. Situated on the isthmus connecting North and South America, it is bordered by Costa Rica to the northwest, Colombia to the southeast, the Caribbean Sea to the north and the Pacific Ocean to the south. The...
, the only bureau of the
Smithsonian InstitutionThe Smithsonian Institution is an educational and research institute and associated museum complex, administered and funded by the government of the United States and by funds from its endowment, contributions, and profits from its retail operations, concessions, licensing activities, and magazines...
based outside of the
United StatesThe United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
, is dedicated to understanding
biological diversityBiodiversity is the degree of variation of life forms within a given ecosystem, biome, or an entire planet. Biodiversity is a measure of the health of ecosystems. Biodiversity is in part a function of climate. In terrestrial habitats, tropical regions are typically rich whereas polar regions...
. What began in 1923 as small field station on
Barro Colorado IslandBarro Colorado Island is located in the man-made Gatun Lake in the middle of the Panama Canal. The island was formed when the waters of the Chagres River were dammed to form the lake. When the waters rose, they covered a significant part of the existing rainforest, and the hilltops remained as...
in the
Panama Canal ZoneThe Panama Canal Zone was a unorganized U.S. territory located within the Republic of Panama, consisting of the Panama Canal and an area generally extending 5 miles on each side of the centerline, but excluding Panama City and Colón, which otherwise would have been partly within the limits of...
has developed into one of the world's leading research institutions. STRI’s facilities provide a unique opportunity for long-term ecological studies in the tropics, and are used extensively by some 600 visiting scientists from academic and research institutions in the United States and around the world every year. The work of resident scientists has allowed STRI to better understand tropical habitats and has trained hundreds of tropical biologists.
History
The history of STRI began with the construction of the
Panama CanalThe Panama Canal is a ship canal in Panama that joins the Atlantic Ocean and the Pacific Ocean and is a key conduit for international maritime trade. Built from 1904 to 1914, the canal has seen annual traffic rise from about 1,000 ships early on to 14,702 vessels measuring a total of 309.6...
from 1904 to 1914.
Secretary of the
Smithsonian InstitutionThe Smithsonian Institution is an educational and research institute and associated museum complex, administered and funded by the government of the United States and by funds from its endowment, contributions, and profits from its retail operations, concessions, licensing activities, and magazines...
,
Charles Doolittle WalcottCharles Doolittle Walcott was an American invertebrate paleontologist. He became known for his discovery in 1909 of well-preserved fossils in the Burgess Shale of British Columbia, Canada.-Early life:...
reached an agreement with
Federico BoydFederico Augusto Boyd López was acting President of Panama from October 1, 1910 to October 5, 1910. He belonged to the Liberal Party....
to conduct a biological inventory of the new Canal Zone in 1910, and this survey was subsequently extended to include all of Panama. Thanks largely to their efforts, the Governor of the Canal Zone declared Barro Colorado Island (BCI) a biological reserve in 1923, making it one of the earliest biological reserves in the Americas. During the 1920s and 1930s BCI, in
Gatun LakeGatun Lake is a large artificial lake situated in the Republic of Panama; it forms a major part of the Panama Canal, carrying ships for of their transit across the Isthmus of Panama....
, became an outdoor laboratory for scientists from US universities and the Smithsonian Institution. By 1940, more than 300 scientific publications described the biota of BCI, and in the "Government Reorganization Act of 1946", BCI became a bureau of the Smithsonian Institution.
STRI as it is known today dates from the 1960s, when the first permanent staff scientists were hired and fellowship programs to support aspiring tropical biologists were initiated. A strong relationship with the Republic of Panama, STRI's host nation, was formalized in the Panama Canal Treaties of 1977. This relationship was renewed and extended in 1985 when Panama granted STRI the status of International Mission, and again in 1997 when the country offered custodianship of STRI facilities beyond the termination of the Panama Canal Treaties. STRI's relationship with the Republic of Panama continues to be of central importance.
Purpose
STRI aims to offer research facilities that allow staff scientists, fellows, and visiting scientists to achieve their research objectives. The 38 staff scientists reside in the tropics and are encouraged to pursue their own research priorities without geographic limitations. The continuity of their long-term programs enables in-depth investigations that attract an elite group of fellows and visitors. Active support for fellows and visitors leverages resources further and attracts more than 600 scientists to STRI each year.
Fellows and other visitors
A range of programs supports fellows and visiting scientists. In 2002, STRI hosted eight university field courses (Princeton, McGill, University of Florida, Michigan State, Florida Atlantic, University of Panama, Organization for Tropical Studies and Union College). There were 406 research fellows at STRI between 1995 and 2001. Junior fellows often work closely with a senior scientist, while advanced fellows pursue their own research. Visiting investigators bring their own funding from sources other than STRI to pursue their research interests at STRI facilities. Staff and fellows are drawn from all nations in an open, global competition, while visiting scientists are drawn from leading research universities.
Barro Colorado is open for public day visits, but advance reservations must be made.
Barro Colorado
Access to the Barro Colorado Nature Monument: The Barro Colorado Nature Monument includes the 16 km²
Barro Colorado IslandBarro Colorado Island is located in the man-made Gatun Lake in the middle of the Panama Canal. The island was formed when the waters of the Chagres River were dammed to form the lake. When the waters rose, they covered a significant part of the existing rainforest, and the hilltops remained as...
, which is covered with tropical forest and boasts a nearly intact mammal fauna. With an unparalleled store of background information reflecting 80 years of increasingly intense research in a protected setting, as well as accommodations and modern laboratories, BCI has long been a major center for tropical research. The Barro Colorado Nature Monument — which adjoins Panama's 220 km²
Soberania National ParkSoberanía National Park is a national park in Panama near the banks of the Panama Canal in the provinces of Panamá and Colón, some from Panama City. The Chagres River runs through the park....
— also includes 40 km² of surrounding mainland peninsulas covered by forests in various stages of succession, serving as a site for manipulative field experiments.
Other terrestrial research sites
Although STRI is based in Panama, research is conducted throughout the tropics. STRI's
Center for Tropical Forest ScienceThe Center for Tropical Forest Science, or CTFS, is a consortium of forest researchers who pursue long-term research on tree populations using comparable census method. The work developed out of a study of 50 hectares of forest on Barro Colorado Island in Panama begun in 1981...
uses large, fully enumerated forest plots to monitor tree demography in 14 countries located in Africa, Asia and the Americas. More than 3,000,000 individual trees representing 6,000 species are being studied. STRI's Biological Diversity of Forest Fragments project created experimental forest fragments of 0.01, 0.1, and 1.0 km² to study the consequences of landscape transformation on forest integrity in the central Amazon region. STRI marine scientists are conducting a global survey of levels of genetic isolation in coral reef organisms.
Marine laboratories
STRI has marine laboratories on both coasts of Panama including a new Caribbean laboratory at the
Bocas del Toro Research StationThe Bocas del Toro Research Station is a field station of the Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute on Panama’s western Caribbean coast, is a platform for both marine and terrestrial biodiversity research...
and a modern research vessel, giving access to two very different oceans that are only 80 kilometres (50 mi) apart. The Atlantic and Pacific oceans were divided by the Isthmus of Panama about three million years ago, creating a superb "natural experiment" in evolution.
The
Bocas del Toro Research StationThe Bocas del Toro Research Station is a field station of the Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute on Panama’s western Caribbean coast, is a platform for both marine and terrestrial biodiversity research...
, 9°21′6"N 82°15′24"W, is a modern marine laboratory and research facility located on
Isla ColónColón Island is the northernmost and main island in the Bocas del Toro Archipelago located in Bocas del Toro Province, Panama. The capital city of the province, Bocas del Toro, is located on the island and is one of Panama's main tourist attractions...
within one mile of downtown Bocas del Toro. The Research Station occupies beach front land. Researchers and visitors can reach the station easily from Bocas del Toro "Isla Colón" International Airport or the ferries to
AlmiranteAlmirante is a city in the Bocas del Toro Province of the Republic of Panama. Its name is Spanish for Admiral.-Tourist Use:For travelers, Almirante is mainly used as a jumping off point for land travel to other cities on the mainland, Panama or to Costa Rica. An approximately 30-minute water taxi...
,
Changuinola-Transportation:Changuinola is accessible by air, land, or sea. Visitors can fly into Captain Manuel Nino International Airport from Panama City and Bocas del Toro. Direct flights from the United States, Canada, and Mexico are not available. Airlines may include , Aeroplas, Air Panama, and Nature Air...
, and
Chiriquí GrandeChiriquí Grande is a town in the Bocas del Toro province of Panama.- Sources :* – World-Gazetteer.com...
. Accommodations and restaurants are plentiful around Bocas del Toro.
Facilities
- Offices, laboratories, and The Earl S. Tupper Research and Conference Center in Ancón
Ancón is a "corregimiento" in central Panama , northeast of the [town-]limits of the town of Balboa. Ancon Hill is also the name of a large hill that overlooks Panama City, and served as a form of protection from pirates, and sea invasion...
, Panama CityPanama is the capital and largest city of the Republic of Panama. It has a population of 880,691, with a total metro population of 1,272,672, and it is located at the Pacific entrance of the Panama Canal, in the province of the same name. The city is the political and administrative center of the...
.
- Accommodations and laboratory facilities in Gamboa, near the 220 km² Soberania National Park.
- A field station in western Panama at Fortuna, providing access to tropical montane forest.
- A resident international staff of over 35 scientists.
- Fellowship support for students and visiting scientists for stays ranging from ten weeks to three years.
- A network of collaborating individuals and institutions distributed throughout the tropics.
Further reading
The Tapir's Morning Bath: Mysteries of the Tropical Rain Forest and the Scientists Who Are Trying to Solve Them, Houghton Mifflin, 2001. 328 pp. A popular-science book by
Elizabeth RoyteElizabeth Royte is an American science/nature writer. She is best known for her books Garbage Land , The Tapir's Morning Bath: Solving the Mysteries of the Tropical Rain Forest , and Bottlemania: How Water Went on Sale and Why We Bought It Elizabeth Royte is an American science/nature writer. She...
which describes the researchers' life on
Barro Colorado IslandBarro Colorado Island is located in the man-made Gatun Lake in the middle of the Panama Canal. The island was formed when the waters of the Chagres River were dammed to form the lake. When the waters rose, they covered a significant part of the existing rainforest, and the hilltops remained as...
.
External links