Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute

The Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute in Panama aims to increase understanding of the past, present and future of tropical biodiversity and its relevance to human welfare. More than 1,400 scientists from around the world every year collaborate on hundreds of projects at remote field sites and in their laboratories in Panama City. In addition to the research, they have a strong outreach programmes at several sites in Panama, educating visitors on marine and coastal ecosystems, marine life, mangroves, and fisheries and marine conservation, amongst others. In terms of resources, they maintain several databases on their website which record the biodiversity of the area.