From Catastrophe to Discovery: The Unforeseen Creation of Barro Colorado Island and the Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute

In the midst of their usual fight against flooding species-rich habitats, conservationists were caught off guard by a flood that occurred in central Panama in 1913. The unexpected outcome of this flood was the creation of Barro Colorado Island, which later became one of the most heavily studied tropical rainforest areas on the planet.

The Smithsonian Institution took over the field station on Barro Colorado Island in 1946 and renamed it the Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute (STRI). Today, STRI is known as a major research facility for biology, comparable to CERN for physics. Although it has only 35 scientists on staff, STRI hosts around 1,200 visitors each year, many of whom are recurring researchers.

Gatun Lake, which was formed by the same flood that created Barro Colorado Island, played a critical role in the construction of the Panama Canal. At the time it was built, Gatun Lake was the largest artificial body of water in the world and served as a crucial part of the canal’s water supply system. Despite its historical significance as an engineering feat, today Gatun Lake is often overshadowed by its more famous neighboring island.