Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute | smithsonianmag.comhttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/rss/blog/smithsonian-tropical-research-institute/RSS feed for Smithsonian Tropical Research InstituteenWed, 03 Apr 2024 16:16:13 +0000Red Flags: I'm Not the Bug for Youhttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/blogs/smithsonian-tropical-research-institute/2024/04/03/red-flags-im-not-the-bug-for-you/Recent research conducted in Panama has revealed that the waving behavior exhibited by matador bugs, with their attractive hind-leg flags, are neither mating displays nor distraction tactics against predators, as previously thought.Wed, 03 Apr 2024 16:16:13 +0000Following the Swarm: Making a Documentary Short Film In Panama’s Tropical Foresthttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/blogs/smithsonian-tropical-research-institute/2024/04/03/following-the-swarm-making-a-documentary-short-film-in-panamas-tropical-forest/At the Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute, researchers track swarms of carnivorous army ants and the birds that follow them. A new documentary reveals a glimpse of life, and research, in the NeotropicsWed, 03 Apr 2024 10:00:00 +0000Rare Shark Spotted for the First Time in Panama’s Eastern Pacifichttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/blogs/smithsonian-tropical-research-institute/2024/03/09/rare-shark-spotted-for-the-first-time-in-panamas-eastern-pacific/The elusive prickly shark was observed during a submarine expedition to the depths of the Cordillera de Coiba seamounts, a biodiversity hotspot and marine protected areaSat, 09 Mar 2024 12:38:51 +0000Why Are There Suddenly So Many Bleached Corals Along the Caribbean Coast of Panama?https://www.smithsonianmag.com/blogs/smithsonian-tropical-research-institute/2024/03/07/why-are-there-suddenly-so-many-bleached-corals-along-the-caribbean-coast-of-panama/A massive coral bleaching event in Panama’s Guna Yala islands along the eastern Caribbean coast signals a major problem with rising ocean temperatures and their long-term effectsThu, 07 Mar 2024 16:00:00 +0000A 17-Year Study Reveals How Dead Leaves Are a Tropical Forest Lifelinehttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/blogs/smithsonian-tropical-research-institute/2024/02/22/a-17-year-study-reveals-how-dead-leaves-are-a-tropical-forest-lifeline/A 17-year experiment in Panama revealed that the process of leaves falling and decomposing on the ground provides nutrients to the soil that help promote tree growth in otherwise infertile tropical forests.Thu, 22 Feb 2024 12:57:46 +0000