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The TRopical Oil Pollution Investigations in Coastal Systems (TROPICS) experiment, conducted on the Caribbean coast of Panama, has become one of the most comprehensive field experiments examining the long-term impacts of oil and dispersed oil exposures in nearshore tropical marine environments. From the initial experiment through more than three decades of study and data collection visits, the intertidal and subtidal communities have exhibited significantly different impact and recovery regimes, depending on whether the sites were exposed to crude oil only or crude oil treated with a chemical dispersant. This review provides a synopsis of the original experiment and a cumulative summary of the results and observations, illustrating the environmental and ecosystem trade-offs of chemical dispersant use in mangrove, seagrass, and coral reef environments. [Display omitted] • TROPICS was designed to evaluate long-term trade-offs of chemical dispersant use in nearshore tropical marine communities. • This review provides a synopsis of the TROPICS experiment and a cumulative summary of results and conclusions over time. • Dispersant use reduced impacts to mangroves, whereas oiling resulted in tree loss and long-term sediment contamination. • Shallow-water corals and invertebrates were significantly impacted by dispersed oil, but recovery occurred within a decade. • Current research on oil and dispersed oil effects on mangroves, seagrasses and corals broadly supports TROPICS conclusions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]