Smithsonian Celebrates a Century of Tropical Science in Panama

The Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute (STRI) commemorates 100 years of scientific research on Barro Colorado Island (BCI) with the “Barro Colorado Island 100 Years Celebration” event.  

To celebrate the findings and processes that have benefited the region, they invited the scientific community to activities with experts in Panama.  This three-day symposium will be held at the Gamboa Rainforest Reserve and will include scientific lectures, poster presentations and panel discussions.  Former researchers, fellows and interns will come together to strengthen the scientific community, foster collaboration and reflect on the next 100 years of tropical research and education. 

Activities will include analysis of the potential of new technologies, debates on future research directions and discussions on contributing to a more diverse and inclusive future.  The symposium, which will take place from June 18 to 21.  Field tours and interactive, hands-on workshops led by expert scientists will also be organized.  Barro Colorado Island , created in 1914 during the construction of the Panama Canal with the damming of the Chagres River and the formation of Gatun Lake, is a unique tropical natural laboratory.  

A wide range of natural phenomena are studied at BCI, from the effects of lightning on trees to plant microbiomes, insect behavior, and the complex interactions between mammals and seeds.  With almost a hundred years of climate records, four decades of environmental monitoring, and the first large-scale, long-term monitoring plot of tropical forest since 1980, the island has provided invaluable information on the evolution of tropical forests and their inhabitants throughout weather.