About This Project

Coiba is the largest uninhabited island in all of Latin America, home to a rich biological heritage of rare and endemic species, but largely unexplored. Despite being a National Park, Coiba is under a variety of threats. In conjunction with the International League of Conservation Photographers (iLCP), we will raise awareness for these species through science and photography to ensure Coiba's continued protection.

Ask the Scientists

What is the context of this research?

Lying 23km off Panama's Pacific coast, Isla Coiba is dominated by rugged and unexplored tropical rainforest, and its coastlines are fringed by the second largest coral reef of the American Pacific coast. Scientists have only started to census Coiba's biodiversity. This isolated paradise is also home to many endemic subspecies of birds, reptiles, and mammals, and nearly half of the invertebrates documented thus far are new to science!

For nearly a century, the island served as a penal colony, which inadvertently preserved Coiba's untouched rainforests. Yet today there is heightened interest in large-scale development within designated Park areas.

What is the significance of this project?

Earlier this year, iLCP Senior Fellows Christian Ziegler and Tim Laman coordinated a team of 30+ scientists to document Coiba's unique biodiversity. This team made many exciting discoveries during the island's dry season, and further documentation is necessary in the wet season to develop a more comprehensive understanding of Coiba's diverse ecosystems.

The aim of this crowd-funding campaign is to send biologist Peter Houlihan back to Coiba to track down species that are found nowhere else in the world! Skilled in a wide range of tropical biodiversity studies, Peter will continue survey efforts during the wetter months to build upon the team's dry season data collection. Peter will work closely with photographer Christian Ziegler to raise awareness for Coiba's unique diversity.

What are the goals of the project?

• Continue wildlife surveys during the wet season to expand our knowledge of Coiba's biodiversity through comprehensive species lists

• Conduct further investigations into the insect, reptile, and amphibian species from the team's first trip to Coiba that are likely to be entirely new species or subspecies!

• Work closely with a world-renowned nature photographer to capture the unique diversity of Coiba that we discover!

• Fuse science and photography to tell the story of Coiba's rich natural history through a variety of media outlets, in Panama and around the world.