Lessons from Panama

Visiting Panama not only got me thinking about research ideas, familiarized me with the area I will be working in, and connected me to some amazing researchers, it also taught me some important everyday lessons. Going into the field before the start of your first semester is unusual but I am thankful for this experience because now when I return to Panama I can be better prepared. Now for my lessons from Panama:

1. Coconut oil is used for everything in Bocas. From cooking and baking to moisturizing your skin and hair, even repelling insects. It makes sense because palm trees are almost as numerous as the mangroves here. Just keep a bottle of coconut oil in your dive locker and apply thoroughly to your hair before getting in the sea water. After 8+ hours in the water, rinse in the shower and your hair is still soft. However, you will now smell like popcorn from the oil and salt. This lesson I learned from our intern Mike who has been living in Bocas for 3 years now. The use of coconut oil that I appreciate a little more is warding off sandflies known as chitras. Although I brought insect repellent to Panama, I don’t like to put it on when I will be going into the water because I do not want to poison any of the marine organisms and I haven’t found it effective against the chitras. Working in the mangroves you quickly discover that prior to 8 am and past 4 pm the chitras are out and looking for blood. These little guys may look like a speck of dirt but their bites leave clusters of red, itchy bumps that swell and turn into a rash. Imagine a mosquito bite that gets increasingly itchier and lasts for days. Fun fact: infected female sandflies can carry leishmaniasis for which there is no vaccination or medication against. Some of the locals explained to me that you can coat your legs, arms, any exposed area with coconut oil and it creates an extra barrier so the chitras leave you alone. What really happens is that they still try to bite you but drown in the coconut oil and you are covered in dead and dying sandflies. Then when you shower you can use their little bodies as exfoliants. Let nothing go to waste.
2. Ants rule the rainforest. Even though Bocas del Toro is made up of several islands, all of them have rainforest and ants. There are the Azteca ants whose entire colony lives inside the Cecropia trees which provide them with nectar in exchange for protection from herbivores. These ants do not like you leaning on or touching the trees they protect. Then there are the leafcutter ants who can carry more than 5000 times their body weight and can defoliate an entire tree overnight. They form roads through the forest, cutting and removing leaves, flowers, and grasses to take to their nest as food for the fungus they grow. The fungus is cared for by the ants and will even communicate to the ants through chemical signals if the ants bring the wrong plant material. In exchange, some of the fungus is harvested and fed to the larvae. Now let’s think about the math, one colony contains around 8 million ants. Each of these ants have a stinger, because ants are related to wasps and bees (Order hymenoptera), as well as massive jaws. The jaws of the soldiers are able to bite through leather and can be used to close wounds. Some people call them “suture ants” because if you have an open wound and let them bite it closed, you can then twist of their bodies and their jaws will remain closed for several weeks until you heal. I don’t recommend this technique unless you are in dire need. I have seen first hand how much blood gushes out of these ant bites and they do not bite one at a time. So, what is the result of upsetting or attracting a colony of these guys? Not great. These are just two of the 609 species of ants found in Panama. Now that has been established, my next lesson, ants love sweet smells. Day one in Bocas I discovered ants swarming my bags and legs biting me. Why? Well I discovered them trying to make off with my toothpaste and a sealed package of gum. Now I know that items like gum, mints, cough drops, and flavored vitamins (e.g. Emergen-C) need to be kept in the refrigerator. I also learned that if ants really like what you have to offer they will immediately move their colony as I discovered them carrying their eggs and larva into my laptop case. After physically attempting to shake ants off my computer I learned that DEET does not kill or even deter the evicted ants. Rather, they become angrier and chase you. Lesson learned and I'm just thankful ants have stopped emerging from my keyboard.
3. You can never have too many sandals. Sandals are a necessity when working in the water all day. With other shoes if you put them on your wet feet they never fully dry which can lead to fungal infections and all sorts of fun repercussions. That being said, wearing sandals everyday around town, walking to the beach over gravel and fossilized coral, around the dorm, etc. they quickly fall apart. I’ve gone through four pairs, two of which were Reefs and I thought would last longer.
4. The ocean always wins. The ocean is a beautiful and powerful force. Even if the sea looks calm, do not go into the water wearing a hat, sunglasses, or earrings. On three separate occasions, I lost all of these items to the ocean. Luckily one of our interns was a sailor and was able to recover my hat.
5. Mangrove work requires a full body wetsuit. Being that the typical temperature is 80-95°F (27-35°C) in Bocas, I did not think I would need a full body wetsuit. Instead I wore a shorty and used SPF 80 sunscreen on my legs, reapplying every 2 hours. Reapplying sunscreen only to go immediately back into the water doesn’t really work well. Then when you are snorkeling at the surface for hours the sun exposure to the back of your legs is extremely strong. I learned from first bright red to then purple burns on my calves that my legs would have to be covered. The full body wetsuit also protects you from stinging coral, stinging sponges, jellyfish, anemones and oysters. 
6. Everything must float. When working in the mangroves, everything must float, be in a vessel that floats, or attached to something that floats. The thick, loose detritus layer of the mangroves can easily be disturbed and when it is, visibility disappears. If you bring something into the mangroves and drop it but it doesn’t float, the detritus will quickly cover it and you will be down a tool. We found that empty water bottles work great as floats and since there isn’t recycling or waste treatment on the islands, it is eco-friendly too. Colored flagging tape is also useful for finding the right instrument in a floating bin of tools. 
7. Mangroves are submerged labyrinths. Mangrove islands grow so rapidly and change frequently from human disturbance that they aren’t well denoted on maps. Even google maps struggles with accurate representation. GPS units will not show where islands are so you must learn the islands you work with well enough to navigate them in any condition without assistance. Even once you find the islands you are working with it is easy to get separated once in the water and sound is absorbed. While collecting data in some mangrove ponds our team broke up into two pairs but the pond that was supposed to only have one entrance ended up with four which led to some wrong turns. Despite being 30 ft or so away, shouts from either pair couldn’t be heard by the other. In the end, it all worked out fine but it demonstrated what could turn into a dangerous situation if someone is alone. This also inspired me to consider VHF safety radios (e.g. Nautilus Lifeline) to take with me into the water.