Bocas del Toro, Panamá

A gorgeous view of the western end of Isla Cayo Zapatilla Dos in the Isla Bastimentos National Marine Park, Bocas del Toro, Panamá

Photo by Cinda

Bocas del Toro, located on the western, Caribbean coast of Panamá, is a small island archipelago that is experiencing rapid change due to tourism and climate change pressures. My work in Panamá centers around conservation efforts in the region and developing research projects focused on the terrestrial, marine and the human dimension. Bocas serves as a unique location to live and learn as we can readily observe and monitor changes in real time. The impacts of tourism, development and other anthropogenic influences on ecosystems such as mangroves, coral reefs and rainforests remain a central focus of the research conducted in Bocas. For most, moving to a tropical “paradise” is a dream come true. However, we know that paradise is not a paradise for everyone. The social and economic changes that have developed over the years due to the increased presence of foreigners has forever changed the Bocas del Toro land and seascape.

On the ground, I work on the front lines to better understand the complex relationship between humans and their dependance on the natural world with aim of promoting more sustainable practices that will benefit future generations.

Interested in learning more about the social, economic and environmental studies on Bocas? Here is information on a book published by several colleagues which contain a few chapters I co-wrote:

Suman, Daniel O. and Ana K. Spalding (Editors) Coastal Resources of Bocas del Toro, Panama: Tourism and Development Pressures and the Quest for Sustainability—University of Miami, Coral Gables, Florida. 2018

Other Bocas and Panama specific articles of interest:

Seeman, J. et al. (2014) Assessing the ecological effects of human impacts on coral reefs in Bocas del Toro, Panama. Environ Monit Assess 186:1747-1763

Altieri, A.H. et al. (2017) Tropical dead zones and mass mortalities on coral reefs. PNAS 3660-3665 vol 114 no.14

Guttentag, D. (2015) Airbnb: disruptive innovation and the rise of an informal tourism accommodation sector. Current Issues in Tourism, 18:12, 1192-1217.

Benson, M.C. (2015) Class, Race, Privilege: Structuring the Lifestyle Migrant Experience in Boquete, Panama. Journal of Latin American Geography, 14:1, 19-37

Guerrón-Montero, C. (2006) Racial Democracy and Nationalism in Panama. Ethnography, 45:3, 209-228