The Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute (STRI) is the only bureau of the Smithsonian Institution based permanently outside the United States, and one of the world's leading centres for the study of tropical biodiversity. The Panamanian headquarters in Balboa includes laboratories, a library, and a public visitor centre with exhibits on tropical ecology.
The bigger draw for visitors is Barro Colorado Island — a 1,500-hectare island in Gatún Lake (the artificial lake that forms the central portion of the Canal), accessible by STRI boat. The island was created when the Canal was flooded in 1914; it is now one of the most intensively studied plots of tropical forest on earth. STRI runs guided public tours by reservation: a morning of howler monkeys, coatis, and forest canopy that most visitors to Panama City completely miss.
story: "Barro Colorado Island has been continuously monitored since 1923, making it one of the oldest scientific study sites in tropical ecology. Researchers have tracked individual trees, animals, and insects across generations — the data set is unique in the world and has transformed our understanding of how tropical forests function."