A mecca for tropical biologists, Barro Colorado Island and five surrounding peninsulas provide easy access to central Panama’s of lowland tropical forest. The 1,560 hectare island was formed when engineers dammed the Chagres River in 1914 to create Gatun Lake, the main channel of the Panama Canal.

Enthusiastic interactions among more than 400 students and experts in their fields who visit each year lead to innovative research projects and have contributed to the more than 13,000 STRI scientific publications since Barro Colorado became a reserve in 1923.