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Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute

Toby Kiers

Fungi Expert Is on a Mission to Protect Global Natural Underground Networks

The youngest woman to receive the Tyler Prize for Environmental Achievement, evolutionary biologist Toby Kiers was also the youngest student on Barro Colorado Island when she first burrowed underground into the fascinating and complex world of fungi

Glitter and Globug

How Camera Traps at the Smithsonian’s Research Institute in Panama Inspired a New Generation of Tropical Scientists

The long-term mammal monitoring project on Barro Colorado Island is one of the most unique camera trap systems in the tropics and the first of its kind

Making Bird Friendly cocoa

Cerro La Vieja: Cocoa that Protects Nature, Chocolate that Feeds the Soul

Dedication to protecting key bird habitats and biodiversity made possible the first Bird Friendly cocoa certification in Panama, marking a milestone for conservation

Atlantic forest treefrog Aplastodiscus leucopygius

Connected Forests Favor More Diverse, Disease-Preventing Microbes

New research shows that forest connecting different types of habitats may help frogs fight a deadly amphibian fungus

Clusia nanophylla

A New, Endemic Tree Species Discovered in an Indigenous Area is Already Threatened

Botanists from the Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute (STRI) named the new species, Clusia nanophylla, because of the tiny size of the leaves, the smallest within the genus. This species has only been found in Panama

1_A7S01410_Ana Endara

Smithsonian’s Panama Amphibian Rescue and Conservation Project Releases Panama’s Critically Endangered Golden Frogs Into the Wild

After disappearing from the wild due to a deadly fungal disease, the Panamanian golden frog is being reintroduced through the Panama Amphibian Rescue and Conservation Project (PARC). In a recent trial, 100 captive-bred frogs were released to study rewilding strategies.

Ants in the spotlight

Ants in the Spotlight: The Hidden Gaps in Neotropical Ant Behavior Research

A recent study from the Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute (STRI) reveals that, despite their outsized ecological impact, the diversity of ants in the American tropics and their behavior remain understudied

Aguada Fénix cruciform pit

Digging Deeper Into Aguada Fénix, the Oldest and Largest Maya Monument in Mexico

Recent discoveries in an archaeological site in Mexico sheds new light into the beginning of the Maya civilization, and how they perceived the passage of time

Brígida de Gracia

A New Species of Fossil Fish From Panama Named After STRI Ngäbe Researcher

An analysis of marine fossils from the Upper Miocene Chagres Formation in Panama, most belonging to the Myctophidae family, discovered four new species, one of which has been named in honor of Brigida de Gracia, the first Ngäbe marine paleontologist

Leafcutter ants_cover

Leafcutter Ants Have Blind Spots, Just Like Truck Drivers

Scientists at the Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute (STRI) in Panama discovered that carrying oversized loads limits the ability to perceive the trail in leafcutter ants, akin to blind spots while we are driving

Bird Friendly

Smithsonian Bird Friendly Celebrates 25 Years, Setting the Gold Standard for Sustainable Coffee and Cocoa Production

What does it take to grow coffee in a way that is good for birds and other wildlife? The birth of the Bird Friendly certification program brought to reality an effort to make the coffee supply chain more sustainable and protect migratory birds and their habitats at the same time

Genome_3

A Comparison of Colorful Hamlets From the Caribbean Challenges Ideas About How Species Arise

Scientists have been thinking about how new species evolve since Darwin wrote On The Origin of Species in 1859. The results presented here call into question some of the most common explanations of how species originate.

Orchid bees

Nature’s Copycats: What Cryptic Insects Reveal About Tropical Biodiversity Blind Spots

A new study from the Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute (STRI) estimates 10% of insect species on Barro Colorado Island may be cryptic, or visually indistinguishable from related species, highlighting potential gaps in scientists’ understanding of ecosystem dynamics

Digitalized pollen of Passiflora cumbalensis

Smithsonian Digitizes Pollen From 18,000 Plant Species for Paleontology Research, Allergy Medicine and More

Pollen from 18,000 tropical plants was digitized in Panama. The images will be used to train a machine-learning model to identify pollen grains, as part of the PollenGEO project

Pseudomyrmex_spinicola copy

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

Aaron O'Dea

Human Fishing Reshaped Caribbean Reef Food Webs, 7,000-Year-Old Exposed Fossilized Reefs Reveal

A groundbreaking study of 7,000-year-old exposed coral reef fossils reveals how human fishing has transformed Caribbean reef food webs: As sharks declined by 75 percent 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 entire food web, shifting the balance among coral reefs

Adult Túngara frog

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

The forest breathes

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

Coral illustrations

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

Capuchin monkeys have been monkey-napping baby howler monkeys

Monkey-Nappers! A Group of Capuchin Monkeys Caught on Camera With Abducted Baby Howler Monkeys

Observations of Coiba's tool-using immature capuchin monkeys show them carrying abducted infant howler monkeys. What is the reason for this behavior?

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