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The Environmental Context

Author


Thomas

17th of June, 2022

Category


Panama I '22

Today was great as we got to experience the Smithsonian research institute station in Bocas town. The facility was not was I had in mind. It was a big marine biology laboratory. There was heavy security all around the buildings. The institute was very open with a lot of outdoor work and labs. We saw scientists diving to underwater data bases to collect new information. There was a large patio with an array of aquariums containing coral in different conditions whether that be temperature, water quality, or lighting. We were then able to converse with some college students living and doing work there. The majority of the workload was on hypoxia around Bocas del Toro. Hypoxia I learned is oxygen deficiency. Specifically hypoxia in the coral reefs due to poor sewage and factory waste treatment. The bacteria that eats the dirty water takes up enough oxygen to cause hypoxia in the surrounding reefs. After that we headed downtown to shop a little and eat lunch. I enjoyed the livelihood of the main street compared to the small car-less street in Bastimentos. We went back to our respected community centers for the final day of the week and I had a blast this time helping kids with word searches and learning more Spanish with their help. They were able to teach me so many new words and tell stories at the same time. We weren’t outside much today due to the mud but it was still time well spent for sure. We closed the day off with dinner and a walk. I’m really excited for the weekend and what’s to come for the second half.
-Thomas

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