Panama’s Vanishing Ocean: A Sign of Earth’s Ecological Crisis
In 2025, the annual upwelling event in the Gulf of Panama failed to occur for the first time, a phenomenon linked to weakened trade winds. Scientists from the Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute (STRI) observed that the process, which normally cools coastal waters and supports fisheries, was disrupted, leading to significantly reduced temperature drops and productivity increases. This disruption highlights the vulnerability of tropical upwelling systems and the potential impact of climate change on coastal populations. Further research is necessary to understand the long-term ecological and socioeconomic implications of this unprecedented event.
John Q. Hosedrinker