OIMB Goes to Panama: Day 11: The Results and Muchas Gracias

The Results

It is our last working day at Bocas Research Station. Our students spent the day working up the data from their group projects and making scientific posters. They have all made significant gains over the last two weeks, grappling first-hand with the challenges, frustrations and rewards of conducting marine research. This evening, they proudly presented their posters.

Team Marine Debris: Nina and Alyssa Team Eelgrass: Katie and Tess

Team Mangrove Roots: Sofia and Jenna Team Kursed Koalas: Alex (pic) and Nadia

Team Damselfish: Adriana and Ryan

A Guest Lecture

This afternoon, Dr. Cinda Scott, the director of the School for Field Studies in Panama gave a guest lecture entitled “Bocas culture and regional marine/environmental threats.” Her presentation was thought provoking, making us all reconsider the cultural as well as ecological value of mangroves to Panamanians, from indigenous groups to lifestyle migrants, as well as tourists.

Muchas Gracias

The Smithsonian Bocas Research Station is a terrific place to teach a tropical marine biology field course. We've had the luxury of a dedicated classroom, dive boats, knowledgeable drivers, kayaks, and the awesome BRS staff that coordinate the many logistics of our course. Thank you to the STRI staff, particularly Plinio (BRS research coordinator) and Jose (STRI Safety Officer) for your support and tremendous help. Thank you to our boat drivers, Caito and especially Sebastian for sharing your local knowledge, keeping us safe in the water and showing us your home island of Zapatillas. Last, muchas gracias to our cooks, Desuze and Cholla, who keep us exceptionally well fed with a delicious array of meats, vegetables and desserts, not to mention Desuze's sweet plantains which I've been craving since our 2019 class.

Cholla and Desuze,

our fantastic chefs

Plinio (BRS research coordinator)

To our students, thank you for your enthusiasm, resilience and support of one another. Thank you to Richard, my co-instructor, for putting so much energy and time into the course and finding so many treasures in the field.

Nadia (left) and Richard (right) holding a Tulip snail (Fasciolaria tulipa) and its blossom-like egg mass (bottom)

Picture Highlights

It is a pleasure to get to snorkel in seagrass beds, mangroves and coral reefs and call it work. I’ve included some pictures of my personal highlights, including a Caribbean reef squid, a shellback crab, hermit crab, coral and even a green alga and a vertebrate.