Summary
The Bocas del Toro Field Station is located on Colon Island in Bocas del Toro province near the border with Costa Rica. To the east is the Caribbean Sea and to the west is a large enclosed bay containing extensive coral reefs and grassbeds surrounded by banana plantations, farms, and forests including extensive mangroves. The area is rapidly being developed for tourism.
Between 2002 and 2005, STRI recorded hourly values of oceanographic and meteorological data, including Solar Radiation, Rain, Ocean Temperature, Tide and Wind Speed. By mid-2005 STRI installed an automated weather station over the bay located to the west of the Field Station, and since then it has been collecting oceanographic and meteorological data at 15 minute intervals.
On April of 2015, and in cooperation with the Smithsonian MarineGEO/Tannenbaum Marine Observations Network, a multi-sensor YSI Exo 2 Sonde was installed on the platform. This sensor records the following parameters every 5 minutes:
- Algae fluorescence (Falgae)
- Chlorophyll Fluorescence (Fchlorophyll)
- Chlorophyll Mass (Mchlorophyll)
- Conductivity (Cond)
- Specific Conductivity (Sp Cond)
- Fluorescent Dissolved Organic Matter (Fdom)
- Dissolved Oxygen, uncorrected (ODO)
- Dissolved Oxygen, corrected for temperature & pressure (ODO Sat)
- pH
- Quinine Sulfate surrogate for Fdom (QSefdom)
- Salinity
- Total Dissolved Solids (TDS)
- Turbidity
- Water Depth
- Pressure
- Water temperature
Field Station
Location: 9? 21′ 02.96” N, 82? 15′ 28.27” W
For a summary of the most recent data collected, plus long-term averages report, please click bellow.
In addition, the program also collects seawater salinity and transparency (Secchi depth).
Sampling Locations
| Name | Measurements | Dec Lat. | Dec. Long |
|---|---|---|---|
| Main Platform | Electronic air temperature, wind, solar radiation, rel. humidity, tide, water temperature | 9.350827 | -82.257943 |
| Mangrove A | Weekly water temperature and salinity | 9.351917 | -82.259083 |
| Mangrove B | Weekly water temperature and salinity | 9.352111 | -82.259028 |
| Mangrove C | Weekly water temperature and salinity | 9.352250 | -82.258972 |
| Reef | Weekly water temperature and salinity | 9.348500 | -82.266000 |
| Seagrass | Weekly water temperature and salinity, Electronic water temp | 9.351694 | -82.257806 |
| Dock (muelle) | Daily water temperature, salinity & DO | 9.351039 | -82.257208 |
| Aquariums (aquarios) | Electronic water temperature | 9.351635 | -82.256852 |
| Isla Cayo Agua | Daily water temperature, salinity & DO | 9.133611 | -82.040278 |
| Isla Roldan o Pastores | Electronic water temperature | 9.219722 | -82.325278 |
Parameters
Equipment & Methods
| Parameters | Sensor Model | Type | File | Method |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dissolved O2 | Manual | ⬇️ | ||
| Rainfall | CAMPBELL SCI. CS700 TIPPING BUCKET | Electronic | ⬇️ | |
| Salinity | Manual | ⬇️ | ||
| Solar Radiation | LICOR LI200X PYRANOMETER | Electronic | ⬇️ | ⬇️ |
| Temperature & RH | Campbell Sci. CS215 | Electronic | ⬇️ | ⬇️ |
| Temperature (water) | 107 | Electronic | ⬇️ | |
| Temperature (water) | Hobo Water Temperature Pro (U22-001) | Electronic | ⬇️ | |
| Temperature (water) | Manual | ⬇️ | ||
| Tide | 500-AQUATRAK | Electronic | ⬇️ | |
| Water Transparency | Secchi disk | Manual | ⬇️ | |
| Wind Speed & Direction | YOUNG WIND MONITOR AQ | Electronic | ⬇️ | ⬇️ |
| YSI Exo Sonde | Electronic | ⬇️ |
Data Download
| Parameters | Frequency | Units | Methods |
|---|---|---|---|
| Air Temperature (max, min, average) | 15 Min | Celsius | ⬇️ |
| Ocean Temperature (average) | 15 Min | Celsius | ⬇️ |
| Rain (total) | 15 Min | mm | ⬇️ |
| Solar Radiation Flux (max, min, average) | 15 Min | w/m? | ⬇️ |
| Relative Humidity (max, min, average) | 15 Min | % | ⬇️ |
| Wind Direction (vect mean, std. deviation) | 15 Min | degrees | ⬇️ |
| Wind Speed (max,min, mean horiz speed) | 15 Min | km/hr | ⬇️ |
| Water Temperature | 60 min | Celsius | ⬇️ |
| Air Temperature | Daily | Celsius | ⬇️ |
| Met. conditions | Daily | Celsius | ⬇️ |
| Dissolved Oxygen | Daily | mg/l | ⬇️ |
| Manual rainfall | Daily | mm | ⬇️ |
| Salinity | Daily | ppt | ⬇️ |
| Water temperature | Daily | Celsius | ⬇️ |
| Secchi Depth | Daily | m | ⬇️ |
Bocas Biological Censuses
In 1999, STRI initiated a mangrove, seagrass and coral censuses as part of the Caribbean Coastal Marine Productivity (CARICOMP) program. CARICOMP was a network of marine laboratories, parks, and reserves in 13 islands and 9 mainland countries throughout the Caribbean basin. Member laboratories monitored physical parameters, coral reefs, mangroves, and grassbeds using a common protocol to provide data for long-term comparative studies of biodiversity and productivity in Caribbean coastal ecosystems. While CARICOMP no longer exists, the censuses continue.
STRI monitors three sites (coral, reef, and mangrove) using the Level 1 protocols in the Methods Manual near the main laboratory in Bocas del Toro (See map).
| Site | Gradient | Dec. Lat. | Dec. Long. |
|---|---|---|---|
| Isla Colón | Fringe A, CARICOMP | 9.351917° | -82.259083° |
| Isla Colón | Fringe A, CARICOMP | 9.352111° | -82.259028° |
| Isla Colón | Fringe A, CARICOMP | 9.352250° | -82.258972° |
| Isla Colón | Transition | 9.352083° | -82.259167° |
| Isla Colón | Dwarf | 9.351944° | -82.259361° |
| Isla Colón | Land | 9.352972° | -82.258111° |
| Isla Cristobal | Fringe | 9.252833° | -82.236333° |
| Isla Cristobal | Transition | 9.252722° | -82.235861° |
| Isla Cristobal | Dwarf | 9.253389° | -82.239861° |
| Isla Cristobal | Land | 9.253389° | -82.239861° |
| Isla Popa | Fringe | 9.231444° | -82.121306° |
| Isla Popa | Transition | 9.230194° | -82.121722° |
| Isla Popa | Dwarf | 9.231444° | -82.121306° |
| Isla Popa | Land | 9.231444° | -82.121306° |
| Isla Solarte | Fringe | 9.309861° | -82.202000° |
| Isla Solarte | Transition | 9.309861° | -82.202000° |
| Isla Solarte | Dwarf | 9.310722° | -82.199944° |
| Isla Solarte | Land | 9.310722° | -82.199944° |
For information regarding sample protocols, the following documents should be consulted.
Guzman et al, 2006 provide a summary of the monitoring program and review of the data collected until 2005.
Global Position System Station (Station Identifier = CN20)
In collaboration with UNAVCO, a permanent Trimble NETR9 GPS station was installed at the Bocas Marine Station in August of 2013. This station now forms part of COCONet. Data from this station are automatically transmitted by satellite to a central server and can be accessed at this Nevada Geodetic Laboratory web site. More information about that station can be found here: