Advancing Management of Panama’s Cordillera de Coiba Marine Protected Area

Cordillera de Coiba is a marine protected area (part of the Eastern Tropical Pacific Marine Corridor) located off the southwestern coast of Panama. To successfully manage it, an integrated, multinational plan is needed. The Bezos Earth Fund granted $50,000 to MigraMar and the Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute through Re:wild to collect additional documentation for the management plan. This research will examine underwater topography, resident and migratory diversity of marine species, special vulnerabilities to climate change and its potential consequences, vulnerability to human impacts, fisheries management, economic potential through whale watching, tourism and other sustainable practices.