Surrounded by mangrove forests, seagrass meadows and coral reefs, Galeta became STRI’s first Caribbean marine lab in 1964. The protected island near the entrance of the Panama Canal was the site of an extensive study of a marine oil spill. Today, the station is especially well-situated for the investigation of urban and industrial encroachment on coastal ecosystems in the tropics. The station is an important outreach facility for Colón, Panama’s second-largest city.