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Amphipods in the parvorder Lysianassidira are scavengers, often collected in sediment, coral rubble, algae, or among other invertebrates. Members of the parvorder have a head that is deeper than long, large coxae, lacinia mobilis present only on the left molar, and a mitten-shaped gnathopod 2 propodus with a long ischium. Nine species from two families within the parvorder are documented from Bocas del Toro, Panama. This research documents range extensions for eight species and an identification key to the species of Caribbean Lysianassidira of Panama is provided. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As a dimension of a blue economy, marine ecotourism should, in theory, not only increase economic viability and environmental sustainability but, most importantly, pursue socially equitable outcomes. In tropical and sub-tropical island regions, where substantial tourism development is often coupled with widespread strains on public infrastructure and services, including water access, there exists a need to better understand the expansion of this industry is felt at the community level; more importantly by individuals who are reliant on these infrastructures and services. Through a case study of the Bocas del Toro Archipelago, where water insecurity is becoming acute, we draw on and mobilize stories from local community members, alongside non-participant observations and document collection, to 1) document the experience of some community members with water insecurity and shortages, including how they perceive the roles played by the central government and marine ecotourism sector, and 2) examine how community members feel about how communities feel about policies and investment priorities of the central government regarding water insecurity, including the extent to which they view marine ecotourism development as undermining or promoting local needs. Our results underline the complex nature of marine ecotourism governance and infrastructure development outcomes in a resource-insecure island region, demonstrating that current issues are greatly impacted by historical and social underpinnings of neo-colonialism and systemic racism, misalignments of community vs. government development priorities, and eroded political trust, that shape local experiences with sustainable development and local residents' perceptions of the ability of marine ecotourism to address issues of water insecurity. Moreover, while our focus is on the marine ecotourism industry, the significance of these findings contributes to a growing body of literature that places local experiences at the forefront of research into the implications of sustainable development in island regions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

There is growing concern about the effects of ocean acidification (OA) on coral reefs, with many studies indicating decreasing calcium carbonate production and reef growth. However, to accurately predict how coral reefs will respond to OA, it is necessary to characterize natural carbonate chemistry conditions, including the spatiotemporal mean and variability and the physical and biogeochemical drivers across different environments. In this study, spatial and temporal physiochemical variability was characterized at two contrasting reef locations in Bocas del Toro, Panama, that differed in their benthic community composition, reef morphology, and exposure to open ocean conditions, using a combination of approaches including autonomous sensors and spatial surveys during November 2015. Mean and diurnal temporal variability in both physical and chemical seawater parameters were similar between sites and sampling depths, but with occasional differences in extreme values. The magnitude of spatial variability was different between the two sites, which reflected the cumulative effect from terrestrial runoff and benthic metabolism. Based on graphical vector analysis of TA–DIC data, reef metabolism was dominated by organic over inorganic carbon cycling at both sites, with net heterotrophy and net calcium carbonate dissolution dominating the majority of observations. The results also highlight the potentially strong influence of terrestrial freshwater runoff on surface seawater conditions, and the challenges associated with evaluating and characterizing this influence on benthic habitats. The Bocas del Toro reef is a unique system that deserves attention to better understand the mechanisms that allow corals and coral reefs to persist under increasingly challenging environmental conditions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Amphipods in the parvorder Hadziidira are typically associated with algae, sponges, or coral rubble. Members of the parvorder have a gnathopod 2 that is stouter than gnathopod 1, a pair of dorsal robust setae on urosomite 2, and a basofacial robust seta on the uropod 1 peduncle. Within the parvorder, six families are documented from Bocas del Toro, Panama, represented by 26 species. This research documents range extensions for all 26 species and an identification key to the species of Caribbean Hadziidira of Panama is provided. Resumen Los anfípodos del parvorden Hadziidira suelen estar asociados con algas, esponjas o escombros de coral. Los miembros del parvorden tienen un gnatópodo 2 que es más robusto que el gnatópodo 1, un par de setas dorsales robustas en el urosomita 2 y una seta basofacial robusta en el pedúnculo del urópodo 1. Dentro del parvorden se documentan seis familias de Bocas del Toro, Panamá, representadas por 26 especies. Esta investigación documenta extensiones de rango para las 26 especies y se proporciona una clave de identificación para las especies de Hadziidira caribeña de Panamá. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The unknown females of Astaena nigrocephalaLago, 2021 and males of A. paracorrugataLago, 2021 are described, both from specimens collected in western Panama near the original type localities. Errata for the Lago, 2021 paper are included in the discussion. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As a dimension of a blue economy, marine ecotourism should, in theory, not only increase economic viability and environmental sustainability but, most importantly, pursue socially equitable outcomes. In tropical and sub-tropical island regions, where substantial tourism development is often coupled with widespread strains on public infrastructure and services, including water access, there exists a need to better understand the expansion of this industry is felt at the community level; more importantly by individuals who are reliant on these infrastructures and services. Through a case study of the Bocas del Toro Archipelago, where water insecurity is becoming acute, we draw on and mobilize stories from local community members, alongside non-participant observations and document collection, to 1) document the experience of some community members with water insecurity and shortages, including how they perceive the roles played by the central government and marine ecotourism sector, and 2) examine how community members feel about how communities feel about policies and investment priorities of the central government regarding water insecurity, including the extent to which they view marine ecotourism development as undermining or promoting local needs. Our results underline the complex nature of marine ecotourism governance and infrastructure development outcomes in a resource-insecure island region, demonstrating that current issues are greatly impacted by historical and social underpinnings of neo-colonialism and systemic racism, misalignments of community vs. government development priorities, and eroded political trust, that shape local experiences with sustainable development and local residents’ perceptions of the ability of marine ecotourism to address issues of water insecurity. Moreover, while our focus is on the marine ecotourism industry, the significance of these findings contributes to a growing body of literature that places local experiences at the forefront of research into the implications of sustainable development in island regions.

Amphipods in the parvorder Oedicerotidira are burrowers, furrowers, or surface skimmers. Members of the parvorder share a well-developed posteroventral lobe on coxa 4, an equilobate coxa 5, an immensely elongate pereopod 7 that differs in structure from pereopod 6, and an entire telson. Within the parvorder, only the family Oedicerotidae has been documented from Bocas del Toro, Panama, represented by two species. This research documents a range extension for Hartmanodes nyei (Shoemaker, 1933) and describes a new species of Synchelidium Sars, 1892. An identification key to the species of Caribbean Oedicerotidae of Panama is provided. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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Humans settled the Bocas del Toro archipelago of Caribbean Panama ∼690 CE. Coastal land was cleared for agriculture in the late 1880s and in recent decades water quality degradation has been detected. To investigate changes that support a decline in water quality and to assess differences in salinity caused by increased runoff from cleared lands, benthic foraminifera of Almirante Bay served as an environmental proxy to compare modern and Middle Holocene times. The foraminiferal community structure of 17 modern mangrove, seagrass, and coral reef habitats <2 m deep was analyzed in combination with 18 samples of ∼6600-year-old coral reef, seagrass and muddy molluscan biofacies from Isla Colón island. The foraminiferal communities' species and diversity overlap considerably among habitats of both ages, and there is more difference in species' proportions between the ages than among habitats of either age. These patterns reflect high connectivity across adjacent habitats in this embayed, patch-reef setting. Assemblages from Middle Holocene molluscan muds and modern mangroves are least diverse, fairly similar, and well differentiated from those of seagrass and coral habitats. Foraminiferal wall structure suggests more freshwater input in modern times, consistent with forest clear-cutting for agriculture, although both ages fall within the low end of normal salinity. Increased freshwater input influenced assemblage changes but they were not sufficient to reduce measured diversity. Reported declines in the bay's water quality have also not resulted in net foraminiferal diversity loss from ∼6600 years ago, indicating substantial resilience in these extremely shallow, tropical coastal communities. • Modern foram communities were mostly different from those before human settlement. • Communities from coral reef, seagrass and mangrove habitats shared most species. • Negligible diversity change does not support widespread water quality degradation. • The structure of very shallow communities may be resistant to water quality change. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

José Antonio Price fue un pionero de la medicina panameña asentado en la provincia de Bocas del Toro. Su graduación como médico cirujano en el año 1913, lo convierte en el primer medico afrodescendiente del que se tenga registro dentro del período histórico inaugurado por la república. Price impulsó, decididamente, el desarrollo de la medicina privada en el Caribe panameño, contribuyendo también a la nacionalización del sector público de la salud adelantado desde el año 1924. Fue también un prominente político liberal, electo en múltiples ocasiones presidente del Consejo Municipal, donde sirvió como presidente.

Bioeroding sponges interact and compete with corals on tropical reefs. Experimental studies have shown global change alters this biotic interaction, often in favour of the sponge. Ocean acidification in particular increases sponge bioerosion and reduces coral calcification, yet little is known about the molecular basis of these changes. We used RNA‐Seq data to understand how acidification impacts the interaction between the bioeroding sponge, Cliona varians, and the coral, Porites furcata, at the transcriptomic level. Replicate sponge and coral genets were exposed to ambient (8.1 pH) and acidified (7.6 pH) conditions in isolation and in treatments where they were joined for 48 h. The coral had a small gene expression response (tens of transcripts) to the sponge, suggesting it does little at the transcriptomic level to deter sponge overgrowth. By contrast, the sponge differentially expressed 7320 transcripts in response to the coral under ambient conditions and 3707 transcripts in response to acidification. Overlap in the responses to acidification and the coral, 2500 transcripts expressed under both treatments, suggests a similar physiological response to both cues. The sponge expressed 50× fewer transcripts in response to the coral under acidification, suggesting energetic costs of bioerosion, and other cellular processes, are lower for sponges under acidification. Our results suggest how acidification drives ecosystem‐level changes in the accretion/bioerosion balance on coral reefs. This shift is not only the result of changes to the thermodynamic balance of these chemical reactions but also the result of active physiological responses of organisms to each other and their abiotic environment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

DNA barcoding is a useful tool to identify the components of mixed or bulk samples, as well as to determine individuals that lack morphologically diagnostic features. However, the reference database of DNA barcode sequences is particularly sparsely populated for marine invertebrates and for tropical taxa. We used samples collected as part of two field courses, focused on graduate training in taxonomy and systematics, to generate DNA sequences of the barcode fragments of cytochrome c oxidase subunit I (COI) and mitochondrial ribosomal 16S genes for 447 individuals, representing at least 129 morphospecies of decapod crustaceans. COI sequences for 36% (51/140) of the species and 16S sequences for 26% (37/140) of the species were new to GenBank. Automatic Barcode Gap Discovery identified 140 operational taxonomic units (OTUs) which largely coincided with the morphospecies delimitations. Barcode identifications (i.e. matches to identified sequences) were especially useful for OTUs within Synalpheus, a group that is notoriously difficult to identify and rife with cryptic species, a number of which we could not identify to species, based on morphology. Non-concordance between morphospecies and barcode OTUs also occurred in a few cases of suspected cryptic species. As mitochondrial pseudogenes are particularly common in decapods, we investigate the potential for this dataset to include pseudogenes and discuss the utility of these sequences as species identifiers (i.e. barcodes). These results demonstrate that material collected and identified during training activities can provide useful incidental barcode reference samples for under-studied taxa.

Preexploitation shark baselines and the history of human impact on coral reef-associated shark communities in the Caribbean are poorly understood. We recovered shark dermal denticles from mid-Holocene (~7 ky ago) and modern reef sediments in Bocas del Toro, Caribbean Panama, to reconstruct an empirical shark baseline before major human impact and to quantify how much the modern shark community in the region had shifted from this historical reference point. We found that denticle accumulation rates, a proxy for shark abundance, declined by 71% since the mid-Holocene. All denticle morphotypes, which reflect shark community composition, experienced significant losses, but those morphotypes found on fast-swimming, pelagic sharks (e.g., families Carcharhinidae and Sphyrnidae) declined the most. An analysis of historical records suggested that the steepest decline in shark abundance occurred in the late 20th century, coinciding with the advent of a targeted shark fishery in Panama. Although the disproportionate loss of denticles characterizing pelagic sharks was consistent with overfishing, the large reduction in denticles characterizing demersal species with low commercial value (i.e., the nurse shark Ginglymostoma cirratum) indicated that other stressors could have exacerbated these declines. We demonstrate that the denticle record can reveal changes in shark communities over long ecological timescales, helping to contextualize contemporary abundances and inform shark management and ecology. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Seagrass meadows are valued coastal habitats that provide ecological and economic benefits around the world. Despite their importance, many meadows are in decline, driven by a variety of anthropogenic impacts. While these declines have been well documented in some regions, other locations (particularly within the tropics) lack long-term monitoring programs needed to resolve seagrass trends over time. Effective and spatially-expansive monitoring within under-represented regions is critical to provide an accurate perspective on seagrass status and trends. We present a comprehensive dataset on seagrass coverage and composition across 24 sites in Bahía Almirante, a lagoon along the Caribbean coast of Panama. Using a single survey, we focus on capturing spatial variation in seagrass physical and elemental characteristics and provide data on key seagrass bio-indicators, such as leaf morphology (length and width), elemental content (% nitrogen and phosphorus) and stable isotopic signatures (δ13C and δ15N). We further explore relationships between these variables and water depth (proxy for light availability) and proximity to shore (proxy for terrestrial inputs). The seagrass assemblage was mostly monospecific (dominated by Thalassia testudinum) and restricted to shallow water (

Abstract Foundation species structure communities by creating habitat and modifying environmental conditions, and there is increasing interest in how foundation species, such as corals and mangroves, interact with one another as these interactions can have cascading effects on diversity and abundance of associated organisms. Given recent reports of corals living on or between mangrove roots under the canopy, we hypothesized that mangroves can serve as a refuge for corals from stresses such as high solar irradiance and temperatures that are associated with the adjacent shallow reef. Using field surveys and a reciprocal transplant experiment, we tested the effects of light and habitat (e.g., reef or mangrove) on coral community structure (i.e., coral species richness, abundance, and diversity) and condition (i.e., level of bleaching, tissue loss, and mortality). The surveys revealed higher coral richness in mangroves than on the adjacent reef, indicating that mangroves can serve as refugia for numerous coral species. Our experimental manipulation of light in mangrove and reef habitats indicated that light intensity is a key environmental parameter mediating coral bleaching and survival, with mangrove habitats providing a refuge from the light stress experienced on nearby shallow reefs. Moreover, our experiment revealed that reef corals bleached less than mangrove corals following transplantation, regardless of whether they were transplanted into mangrove or reef habitats. We suggest that the lower coral richness of the shallow reef is the result of the extreme environmental conditions that select for a subset of coral species able to tolerate these conditions. The facilitative interactions that allow mangroves to act as coral refugia by reducing environmental stress will likely become increasingly important with global climate change.

Seagrass meadows are valued coastal habitats that provide ecological and economic benefits around the world. Despite their importance, many meadows are in decline, driven by a variety of anthropogenic impacts. While these declines have been well documented in some regions, other locations (particularly within the tropics) lack long-term monitoring programs needed to resolve seagrass trends over time. Effective and spatially-expansive monitoring within under-represented regions is critical to provide an accurate perspective on seagrass status and trends. We present a comprehensive dataset on seagrass coverage and composition across 24 sites in Bahía Almirante, a lagoon along the Caribbean coast of Panama. Using a single survey, we focus on capturing spatial variation in seagrass physical and elemental characteristics and provide data on key seagrass bio-indicators, such as leaf morphology (length and width), elemental content (% nitrogen and phosphorus) and stable isotopic signatures (δ13C and δ15N). We further explore relationships between these variables and water depth (proxy for light availability) and proximity to shore (proxy for terrestrial inputs). The seagrass assemblage was mostly monospecific (dominated by Thalassia testudinum) and restricted to shallow water (<3 m). Above-ground biomass varied widely, averaging 71.7 g dry mass m-2, yet ranging from 24.8 to 139.6 g dry mass m-2. Leaf nitrogen content averaged 2.2%, ranging from 1.76 to 2.57%, while phosphorus content averaged 0.19% and ranged from 0.15 to 0.23%. These values were high compared to other published reports for T. testudinum, indicating elevated nutrient availability within the lagoon. Seagrass stable isotopic characteristics varied slightly and were comparable with other published values. Leaf carbon signatures (δ13C) ranged from -11.74 to -6.70? and were positively correlated to shoreline proximity, suggesting a contribution of terrestrial carbon to seagrass biomass. Leaf nitrogen signatures (δ15N) ranged from -1.75 to 3.15? and showed no correlation with shoreline proximity, suggesting that N sources within the bay were not dominated by localized point-source discharge of treated sewage. Correlations between other seagrass bio-indicators and environmental metrics were mixed: seagrass cover declined with depth, while biomass was negatively correlated with N, indicating that light and nutrient availability may jointly regulate seagrass cover and biomass. Our work documents the response of seagrass in Bahía Almirante to light and nutrient availability and highlights the eutrophic status of this bay. Using the broad spatial coverage of our survey as a baseline, we suggest the future implementation of a continuous and spatially expansive seagrass monitoring program within this region to assess the health of these important systems subject to global and local stressors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Foundation species structure communities by creating habitat and modifying environmental conditions, and there is increasing interest in how foundation species, such as corals and mangroves, interact with one another as these interactions can have cascading effects on diversity and abundance of associated organisms. Given recent reports of corals living on or between mangrove roots under the canopy, we hypothesized that mangroves can serve as a refuge for corals from stresses such as high solar irradiance and temperatures that are associated with the adjacent shallow reef. Using field surveys and a reciprocal transplant experiment, we tested the effects of light and habitat (e.g., reef or mangrove) on coral community structure (i.e., coral species richness, abundance, and diversity) and condition (i.e., level of bleaching, tissue loss, and mortality). The surveys revealed higher coral richness in mangroves than on the adjacent reef, indicating that mangroves can serve as refugia for numerous coral species. Our experimental manipulation of light in mangrove and reef habitats indicated that light intensity is a key environmental parameter mediating coral bleaching and survival, with mangrove habitats providing a refuge from the light stress experienced on nearby shallow reefs. Moreover, our experiment revealed that reef corals bleached less than mangrove corals following transplantation, regardless of whether they were transplanted into mangrove or reef habitats. We suggest that the lower coral richness of the shallow reef is the result of the extreme environmental conditions that select for a subset of coral species able to tolerate these conditions. The facilitative interactions that allow mangroves to act as coral refugia by reducing environmental stress will likely become increasingly important with global climate change. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Amphipods in the parvorder Hadziidira are typically associated with algae, sponges, or coral rubble. Members of the parvorder have a gnathopod 2 that is stouter than gnathopod 1, a pair of dorsal robust setae on urosomite 2, and a basofacial robust seta on the uropod 1 peduncle. Within the parvorder, six families are documented from Bocas del Toro, Panama, represented by 26 species. This research documents range extensions for all 26 species and an identification key to the species of Caribbean Hadziidira of Panama is provided., Competing Interests: The authors have declared that no competing interests exist., (Kristine N. White, Sally J. Sir.)

International flows of people from developed to developing countries represent a departure from the typical migratory path away from the Global South. These counter‐movements are usually characterised by a search for destinations with warm climates, cheaper costs of living, and a perceived high quality of life. One such destination is the Bocas del Toro archipelago in Northwestern Panama. Lifestyle migration to Panama is, in part, the result of political economic conditions in countries of origin that drive people to seek new lifestyle destinations, coupled with Panamanian government‐led neoliberal development policies aimed at increasing sources of foreign investment. While lifestyle migrant trajectories have been widely studied in the region, the local socio‐ecological implications of such movements are rarely considered. This paper explores local perceptions of change in terms of the differences in outcomes across local ethno‐cultural groups, and of the challenges and opportunities of the emerging new economy of Bocas del Toro. Findings represent an empirical case study of implications of lifestyle migration and further expand scholarly thinking about the intersection of first and third world political ecologies by linking two branches of a field of study that have traditionally shared methods and themes, yet have been separated by geography. By exploring local perceptions of change in terms of the differences in outcomes across local ethno‐cultural groups, and of the challenges and opportunities of the emerging new economy of Bocas del Toro, Panama, this paper encourages reflexivity in future lifestyle migration and political ecology scholarship. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Caribbean coral reefs have transformed into algal‐dominated habitats over the past half‐century, but the role of specific anthropogenic drivers is unresolved due to the lack of ecosystem‐level data predating human disturbance. To better understand the extent and causes of long‐term Caribbean reef declines, we produced a continuous 3000‐yr record of the ecosystem state of three reefs in Bocas del Toro, Caribbean Panama. From fossils and sediments obtained from reef matrix cores, we tracked changes in reef accretion rates and the taxonomic and functional group composition of fish, coral, urchin, bivalve and benthic foraminifera. This dataset provided a comprehensive picture of reef community and environmental change. At all sites, reefs shifted from systems with greater relative abundance of herbivorous fish, epifaunal suspension feeding bivalves and Diadema urchins to systems with greater relative abundance of micropredator fish, infaunal bivalves and Echinometra urchins. These transitions were initiated a millennium ago at two less‐degraded reefs fringing offshore islands and ~250 yr ago at a degraded patch reef near the continental coast. Ecosystem shifts were accompanied by a decline in reef accretion rates, and at the patch reef, a decline in water quality since the 18th century. Within all cores, synchronous increases in infaunal bivalves and declines in herbivorous fish regardless of water quality suggest a loss of hard substrate and increasingly hypoxic sediment conditions related to herbivore loss. While the early timing of ecosystem transitions at the fringing reefs implicates large‐scale hydrological change, the more recent timing of change and loss of water quality at the patch reef implicates terrigenous runoff from land‐clearing. Our whole‐ecosystem reconstruction reveals that reef ecosystem deterioration appears to follow a predictable trajectory whether driven by natural or anthropogenic disturbances and that historical local human activities have quickly unraveled reefs at a scale similar to longer‐term natural environmental change. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

DNA barcoding is a useful tool to identify the components of mixed or bulk samples, as well as to determine individuals that lack morphologically diagnostic features. However, the reference database of DNA barcode sequences is particularly sparsely populated for marine invertebrates and for tropical taxa. We used samples collected as part of two field courses, focused on graduate training in taxonomy and systematics, to generate DNA sequences of the barcode fragments of cytochrome c oxidase subunit I (COI) and mitochondrial ribosomal 16S genes for 447 individuals, representing at least 129 morphospecies of decapod crustaceans. COI sequences for 36% (51/140) of the species and 16S sequences for 26% (37/140) of the species were new to GenBank. Automatic Barcode Gap Discovery identified 140 operational taxonomic units (OTUs) which largely coincided with the morphospecies delimitations. Barcode identifications (i.e. matches to identified sequences) were especially useful for OTUs within Synalpheus, a group that is notoriously difficult to identify and rife with cryptic species, a number of which we could not identify to species, based on morphology. Non-concordance between morphospecies and barcode OTUs also occurred in a few cases of suspected cryptic species. As mitochondrial pseudogenes are particularly common in decapods, we investigate the potential for this dataset to include pseudogenes and discuss the utility of these sequences as species identifiers (i.e. barcodes). These results demonstrate that material collected and identified during training activities can provide useful incidental barcode reference samples for under-studied taxa. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

When the archaeology of the African Diaspora fails to consider local contexts or stakeholders, it creates historical problems for communities and researchers and leads to antagonistic research sites and adverse consequences for residents. To counter this, some archaeological research emphasizes collaboration and stakeholder involvement in order to reshape the way archaeology is experienced in community sites. Building on this work, I offer an ethnographically informed approach to African Diaspora archaeology as a collaborative method that takes local issues, histories, and politics seriously. I demonstrate how ethnography allows for a better understanding of the past and present peoples of Bocas del Toro, Panama, and can provide archaeologists committed to combating oppression with political tactics for their research. Indeed, this approach is part of a broader trend in African diasporic archaeology, which understands its work as a means for social justice. This article shows how communities can be an archaeological resource to understand data about a historical past, and in turn how African Diaspora archaeologists can be resources for local communities. It details ethnographic methods as they unfolded within the community of Bocas del Toro, Panama, in order to demonstrate an approach that builds with and in some cases can repair relationships between archaeologists and the communities we work with. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A small and genetically isolated bottlenose dolphin (Tursiops truncatus) population resides year-round in the Bocas del Toro Archipelago-Panama (BDT). Photo-identification and genetic data showed that this dolphin population is highly phylopatric and is formed exclusively by individuals of the "inshore form". This study aimed to investigate the trophic ecology and mercury concentrations of bottlenose dolphins in BDT to assess their coastal habits. We collected muscle samples (n = 175) of 11 potential fish prey species, and skin samples from free-ranging dolphins in BDT (n = 37) and La Guajira-Colombia (n = 7) to compare isotopic niche width. Results showed that BDT dolphins have a coastal feeding habit, belong to the "inshore form" (δ13C = −13.05 ± 1.89‰), and have low mercury concentrations (mean = 1637 ± 1387 ng g−1dw). However, this element is biomagnified in the BDT food chain, showing a marginal dolphins health risk (RQ = 1.00). We call for a monitoring pollutant program and conservation strategies aimed to protect the dolphin population at BDT. • The bottlenose dolphin population in Bocas del Toro (BDT, Panama) is vulnerable to anthropogenic activities. • Dolphins in BDT are isolated in the Caribbean and have strictly coastal habits. • Mercury (Hg) is bioaccumulating and magnifying in the BDT marine food chain. • Dolphins show a marginal health risk due to Hg exposure. • Monitoring temporal trends of Hg concentration in BDT is needed to assess potential effects on biota. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

DNA barcoding is a useful tool for documenting the diversity of metazoans. The most commonly used barcode markers, 16S and COI, are not considered suitable for species identification within some "basal" phyla of metazoans. Nevertheless metabarcoding studies of bulk mixed samples commonly use these markers and may obtain sequences for "basal" phyla. We sequenced mitochondrial DNA fragments of cytochrome oxidase c subunit I (COI), 16S ribosomal RNA (16S), NADH dehydrogenase subunits 2 (16S-ND2), 6 (ND6-ND3) and 4L (ND4L-MSH) for 27 species of Caribbean octocorals to create a reference barcode dataset and to compare the utility of COI and 16S to other markers more typically used for octocorals. The most common genera (Erythropodium, Ellisella, Briareum, Plexaurella, Muriceopsis and Pterogorgia) were effectively distinguished by small differences (5 or more substitutions or indels) in COI and 16S sequences. Gorgonia and Antillogorgia were effectively distinguished from each other by unique haplotypes, but the small genetic differences make distance approaches ineffective for these taxa. Plexaura, Pseudoplexaura and Eunicea were indistinguishable from each other but were generally effectively distinguished from other genera, further supporting the idea that these genera have undergone a rapid endemic radiation in the Caribbean. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This work is the first attempt to assess the biodiversity of the Hydrozoa in the Archipiélago de Bocas del Toro (Panamá, Caribbean Sea) using morphology and molecular taxonomy, and to produce field identification tools to help future identification and monitoring efforts in the area. We sampled, identified, vouchered, and barcoded 112 specimens of Hydrozoa from shallow coastal waters (0-22 m depth) in the Archipiélago de Bocas del Toro. The specimens belong to 70 taxa, of which 53 were identified at the species level, and 17 were identified at the genus or family level. We produced 64 sequences of the large ribosomal subunit of the mitochondrial RNA (mt lsu-rRNA, 16S), the genetic marker generally used for barcoding Hydrozoa. We updated the local checklist that now comprises 118 species, and produced 87 detailed taxon identification tables that display species descriptions augmented with pictures, geographic distribution (worldwide and in Bocas del Toro), GenBank accession numbers for the 16S mitochondrial gene, and a synopsis of the families they belong to. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Amphipods in the parvorder Oedicerotidira are burrowers, furrowers, or surface skimmers. Members of the parvorder share a well-developed posteroventral lobe on coxa 4, an equilobate coxa 5, an immensely elongate pereopod 7 that differs in structure from pereopod 6, and an entire telson. Within the parvorder, only the family Oedicerotidae has been documented from Bocas del Toro, Panama, represented by two species. This research documents a range extension for Hartmanodesnyei (Shoemaker, 1933) and describes a new species of Synchelidium Sars, 1892. An identification key to the species of Caribbean Oedicerotidae of Panama is provided., (Elizabeth L. Durham, Kristine N. White.)

Recent changes in marine policy in Panama are closely related to sustained expansion of the Panamanian economy in the past ten years. Important drivers of economic growth such as the Panama Canal expansion, tourism, and real estate development directly involve marine and coastal areas. Therefore, maintaining the quality of these environments, as well as the sustainability of the human communities that depend on them, calls for the implementation of adequate management and planning policies. In light of a complex history of marine and coastal policy in Panama, current institutional restructuring processes, and a growing recognition of the importance of marine and coastal geographies, the authors aim to document the current status of, and community response to, marine and coastal policy in Panama, analyzed in terms of three important cross-cutting sectors: tourism, fishing, and conservation. To do so, the authors introduce two case studies: one in the Pearl Islands Archipelago and one in Bocas del Toro, each with varying degrees of participation or involvement in each sector, to illustrate the range of adaptations to change occurring in coastal communities. Based on an in-depth policy analysis and the case studies, the authors suggest that there are important administrative and structural gaps in the legislation and institutions that enforce them, as well as a lack of integration across institutions. In particular, the authors highlight the lack of clear marine and coastal property regimes as an obstacle to the implementation of integrative marine policies in Panama. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Se registra por primera vez para Panamá la familia de chinche Plokiophilidae y la especie Lipokophila eberhardi Schuh, 1993, tres especímenes de L. eberhardi fueron recolectados en Bocas del Toro, Changuinola, y localizados en una red de seda cribelada de Tengella radiata (Araneae, Tengellidae).

Este estudio, cuarto y último donde se describen los arrecifes coralinos de Bocas del Toro y su estado de conservación en forma individual, contempla a 14 arrecifes continentales en 129 km de costa comprendidos entre la Península Valiente y el Río Calovébora. Se encontró una cobertura de coral vivo promedio para esta región de 17.1% (" 3.6%), principalmente en el sector occidental de la península, en particular la zona interna de Bahía Bluefield, y en el sector de Tobobe. La cobertura de coral aumenta con la profundidad ( 5 m) en la mayoría de los arrecifes. Dos especies de coral, Porites furcata y Acropora palmata, dominan las aguas superficiales. El coral Acropora palmata se encontró abundante en seis de los 14 arrecifes estudiados concentrándose su mayor presencia hacia el sector de la Ensenada Tobobe y Punta Valiente. Los patrones de reclutamiento son similares en distribución a los de mayor cobertura, presentándose densidades promedios de 4 reclutas/m² (hasta 9 reclutas/m²) principalmente Agaricia spp., Porites astreoides y Siderastrea siderea. La mayor diversidad de corales y esponjas se registró hacia el sector occidental de Península Valiente encontrandose 55 especies de corales en el área de estudio, incluyendo dos nuevos registros para Bocas del Toro (59 especies en total); Dichocoenia stellaris y Madracis luciphila, incrementando también la diversidad de corales de Panamá a 65 especies. Se encontraron 24 especies de octocorales, informándose por primera vez tres especies: Gorgonia mariae, Muriceopsis sulphurea y Muricea laxa, aumentando así en un 10% la diversidad de Bocas del Toro a 32 especies en total. Se registraron cinco nuevas especies de esponjas, lo que representa un incremento del 9% en el número de especies que hacen un total de 58 para Bocas del Toro. La diversidad total de esponjas en el área de estudio fue de 48 especies. Se encontraron grandes poblaciones de Acropora palmata en la Ensenada de Tobobe lo que justifica, una vez más, la necesidad de modificar el área protegida actual de forma que se incorpore dentro de los planes de conservación este nuevo sector.This is the fourth and last contribution describing the individual structure, distribution and conservation status of coral reefs in the Province of Bocas del Toro. Here we describe 14 new reefs along 129 km of coast from Peninsula Valiente to Río Calovébora. Average live coral coverage for this region was 17.1% (" 3.6%), mainly in the western region of the peninsula (Bahia Bluefield and Ensenada Tobobe). Coral cover increases with depth ( 5 m) for most species at several reefs and the corals Porites furcata and Acropora palmata dominated shallow waters. Acropora palmata was found abundant in 43% of the studied reefs and toward the regions of the Ensenada Tobobe and Punta Valiente. Coral recruitment rates were similar in distribution to those reefs with greater coral coverage, with average densities of 4 recruit/m² (maximum 9 recruits/m²) and mainly Agaricia spp., Porites astreoides and Siderastrea siderea. The greater diversity of corals and sponges was recorded toward the western side of the peninsula, with a total of 55 coral species in the study area, including two new records for Bocas del Toro (59 species in total), Dichocoenia stellaris and Madracis luciphila and increasing the diversity of corals of Panama to 65 species. We found 24 species of octocorals and Gorgonia mariae, Muriceopsis sulphurea and Muricea laxaoosens, are informed for the first time to the area, increasing in 10% the diversity for Bocas del Toro (32 in total). We recorded 48 sponges, including five new species for the area and representing an increase of 9% in the total number (58). Large populations of Acropora palmata were found in the Ensenada Tobobe, what justifies once again the need for modifying the existing protected area, so that this new region is incorporated within the conservation plans.

Caribbean reef corals have declined sharply since the 1980s, but the lack of prior baseline data has hindered identification of drivers of change. To assess anthropogenic change in reef environments over the past century, we tracked the composition of subfossil assemblages of bivalve and gastropod mollusks excavated from pits below lagoonal and offshore reefs in Bocas del Toro, Panama. The higher prevalence of (a) infaunal suspension-feeding bivalves and herbivorous and omnivorous gastropods in lagoons and (b) epifaunal and suspension-feeding bivalves and carnivorous and suspension-feeding gastropods offshore reflected the greater influence of land-based nutrients/sediments within lagoons. Temporal changes indicated deteriorating environmental conditions pre-1960 in lagoons and post-1960 offshore, with offshore communities becoming more similar to lagoonal ones since 1960. Relative abundances of dominant bivalve species tracked those of their coral hosts, revealing broader ecosystem effects of coral community change. The nature and timing of changes implicate land-based runoff in reef deterioration. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

En estudios anteriores se encontró que el área protegida del Parque Nacional Marino de Isla Bastimentos (PNMIB) no albergaba arrecifes en buen estado de conservación, desarrollo y diversidad, recomendándose ampliar el reconocimiento de arrecifes a otras áreas del archipiélago de Bocas del Toro, en particular el sector oriental del parque marino. En el presente estudio, se hizo un reconocimiento - ca. 107.5 km en total - detallado de la zona costera insular de islas Pastores, Cristóbal, Popa y Cayo Agua, donde se evaluó la distribución de los arrecifes coralinos. Se describieron un total de 24 arrecifes, los cuales representan las formaciones típicas para las distintas localidades. Se define por primera vez para el archipiélago el centro de mayor diversidad de organismos sésiles, que son importantes constructores de arrecies coralinos. El número de especies de corales escleractínidos para todo el archipiélago de Bocas del Toro aumentó a 57 y se actualizan también los registros para Panamá aumentando así a un total de 64 especies para el país. Esto implica que el archipiélago alberga el 89 % de las especies de Panamá, de las cuales 96 % o más están distribuidas en los arrecifes de la "zona de alta diversidad" encontrada en el presente estudio. De igual forma, la diversidad de octocorales aumentó a 29 especies (16 %) y las esponjas experimentaron un incremento de 16 especies (30 %) para un total de 53 especies. Se encuentran en la "zona de lata diversidad" el 94 % y 97 % de las especies de esponjas y octocorales, respectivamente. Se presentan cinco recomendaciones generales, siendo las más importante, modificar los límites existentes del PNMIB, de forma que se protejan las áreas que albergan la mayor diversidad general y la mayor abundancia de especies amenazada, o crear una red de áreas protegidas dentro del archipiélago.

In this paper I attempt to explain environmental change in the Bocas del Toro Archipelago in Panama since the arrival of foreign residents in the early 1990s. In order to do so, I use remote sensing and Geographic Information System (GIS) techniques to quantify and compare land cover throughout the archipelago over time. Findings suggest that, contrary to the popular belief that rapid and disorganized tourism development is devastating natural environments in Bocas del Toro, observations at small geographic scale reveal that there is in fact a slight increase in forest cover since 1986. Ongoing demographic, cultural, and economic changes suggest, however, that improved planning and policy making is necessary to ensure the sustainability of current anthropogenic activities and natural environments. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aposematic organisms are not predicted to show high levels of warning signal diversity because they are expected to be under stabilizing selection to decrease costs of 'educating' predators about their unpalatability. However, systematic changes in warning signals (polytypism) can be expected if they represent adaptations to local predators. The aposematic strawberry poison frog ( Oophaga pumilio) is red throughout its mainland distribution in Costa Rica and Panamá, but displays high levels of warning signal diversity in the Bocas del Toro Archipelago of Panamá. Both coloration and spot pattern vary in a polytypic sense. Sexual selection contributes to maintaining the polytypism, but little work has investigated the potential influence of predation. We used unspotted models of O. pumilio to determine if predation might help explain the color polytypism on Isla Colón in the Bocas del Toro Archipelago of Panamá. We tested whether attack rates differed among the red mainland morph, green/yellow Isla Colón morph, and the brown control. We found that frog color significantly predicted being attacked. The local green Isla Colón models were attacked more than foreign red or brown models. No difference in attack rate existed between red and brown control models. Our results suggest that the red mainland morph possesses a more effective warning signal, even when it is not the local morph. Honest signaling of unpalatability, neophobia, and the use of search images by local predators are potential explanations. Similarity of the brown model to other local poison frogs might explain the lower attack rate compared to previous work. The attack rate was lower on Isla Colón compared to mainland Costa Rica, which supports the hypothesis that less overall predation in the Bocas del Toro Archipelago may contribute to the overall warning signal diversity in O. pumilio there by relaxing selection for aposematic traits. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Bocas del Toro region of Panamá (Bocas del Toro Province and the Comarca Ngôbe-Buglé) has been known as an important area for sea turtles since at least the 17th century. Four species occur in the region: the hawksbill (Eretmochelys imbricata), green turtle (Chelonia mydas), loggerhead (Caretta caretta), and leatherback (Dermochelys coriacea). Multiple life stages of these species are supported by the diverse marine habitats and beaches in the region. We summarize the evidence for stages present and their known distributions in the Bocas region. Annual nest numbers, location, and monitoring status are given for 17 nesting beaches. These beaches support regionally significant numbers of leatherback and hawksbill nests, small numbers of green turtle nests and, rarely, loggerhead nests. We review the history of sea turtle use in the Bocas region and describe "velación," a government-organized system that facilitated the extraction of hawksbills from nesting beaches throughout the Bocas region during the 20th century to supply the market for tortoiseshell. Current threats to sea turtles in the Bocas area include an illegal directed take of turtles at sea and of eggs and turtles on nesting beaches, bycatch in lobster and shark fisheries, and habitat degradation. Coastal development and increasing tourism have gradually become concerns for sea turtle conservation as the economic focus of the region has changed. The history of conservation efforts on behalf of sea turtles in Bocas is also summarized. This contribution was originally written to provide data on sea turtles for a coastal management plan for the region. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Because variation in warning signals slows down the predator education process, aposematic theory predicts that animal warning signals should be monomorphic. Yet, warning color polytypisms are not uncommon in aposematic species. In cases where warning signal variants are separated geographically, adaptation to local predators could explain this variation. However, this cannot explain the persistence of sympatric polymorphisms in aposematic taxa. The strawberry poison frog ( Oophaga pumilio) exhibits both allopatric and sympatric warning color variation in and around the Bocas del Toro archipelago of Panama. One explanation that has been proposed for the rapid diversification of O. pumilio coloration in this archipelago is low predation; if island populations have few predators, stabilizing selection would be relaxed opening the door for diversification via selection or genetic drift. Using a combination of mark-recapture and clay model studies, we tested for differences in survival and predation among sympatric red and yellow color morphs of O. pumilio from Bastimentos Island. We found no evidence for differential survival or predation in this population, despite the fact that one morph (red) is more common and widely distributed than the other (yellow). Even in an area of the island where the yellow morph is not found, predator attack rates were similar among morphs. Visual modeling suggests that yellow and red morphs are distinguishable and conspicuous against a variety of backgrounds and by viewers with different visual systems. Our results suggest that general avoidance by predators of red and yellow, both of which are typical warning colors used throughout the animal kingdom, may be contributing to the apparent stability of this polymorphism. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Lifestyle migration, the flow of relatively affluent people from developed to developing countries, is characterized by the search for 'lifestyle' destinations with warm climates, reduced costs of living, and perceived higher quality of life. Mexico, Costa Rica, and Panama are three current major lifestyle migration destinations in Latin America. In this article I explore the emergence of this relatively new phenomenon in the Bocas del Toro Archipelago in Northwestern Panama by discussing the contradiction between lifestyle migrants' idealized perception of place and local realities. I also introduce the implications of these contradicting versions of reality, and how they play out at the local level. Results show that, in general, foreign residents are attracted to Bocas del Toro as a physical manifestation of globally produced images and perceptions of tropical island living. However, an in-depth exploration reveals contradictions between expectations and reality. I suggest that foreigners exhibit a set of attitudes and behaviors towards their new home that are defined by a shared cultural and economic background that, on the ground, contribute to the creation of emerging markets, land conflicts, and changes in environmental practices. The ensuing narrative is contingent upon tensions between and within social, political, and ecological variables at the global and local levels. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ecology Letters (2012) Abstract Caribbean reef corals have declined precipitously since the 1980s due to regional episodes of bleaching, disease and algal overgrowth, but the extent of earlier degradation due to localised historical disturbances such as land clearing and overfishing remains unresolved. We analysed coral and molluscan fossil assemblages from reefs near Bocas del Toro, Panama to construct a timeline of ecological change from the 19th century-present. We report large changes before 1960 in coastal lagoons coincident with extensive deforestation, and after 1960 on offshore reefs. Striking changes include the demise of previously dominant staghorn coral Acropora cervicornis and oyster Dendrostrea frons that lives attached to gorgonians and staghorn corals. Reductions in bivalve size and simplification of gastropod trophic structure further implicate increasing environmental stress on reefs. Our paleoecological data strongly support the hypothesis, from extensive qualitative data, that Caribbean reef degradation predates coral bleaching and disease outbreaks linked to anthropogenic climate change. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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We used 15 microsatellite markers to estimate the selfing rate ( s), outcrossing rate ( t) and hybridization between partially sympatric ecomorphs ( t) of the coral Favia fragum. Genotyping of progeny arrays revealed complete self-fertilization in the Tall ecomorph and low outcrossing ( t + t < 1%) in the Short ecomorph. Further, all larvae could be assigned with high probability to the same population as their parental dam, indicating no hybridization between ecomorphs ( t = 0). Despite low ecological estimates of outcrossing, Q values from highly structured adult populations indicated that 9% of the adult samples were the products of outcrossing, and an additional 11% were hybrids. Reproductive isolation appears to have a strong geographical component, as we did not detect hybrids at a second site where the two ecomorphs were distributed in complete microallopatry. Adult estimates of gene flow within ecomorphs may be positively biased by ecomorph-specific patterns of inbreeding depression, but cryptic gene flow between ecomorphs is most likely explained by undetected outcrossing and the fact that hybrid lineages persist after repeated generations of self-fertilization. Our microsatellite data show that phenotypic differences between ecomorphs are maintained in sympatry despite evidence for hybridization. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]