The Challenge

Panama is the southern stretch of land connecting Central America to South America with a population of 4.4+ million. Long time traditions such as fishing, consuming turtle meat and eggs, and hunting Iguanas (though illegal) have negatively impacted the natural habitat and livelihood of several ecosystems. 

The real target challenge is restoring sea cucumbers to the region. Dried sea cucumbers are a food commodity and health aid for millions in China and the Pacific islands. Because of this, sea cucumbers were overfished several years ago and the fishery has since collapsed. They have traditionally been fished from the ocean in an unsustainable way, leaving coral reefs damaged. Sea cucumbers consume organic material and detritus found on the seafloor. Cleaning the sand is known to prevent algal blooms, which can affect the health of fish and coral reef populations. Sea cucumbers produce ammonia as a byproduct of their digestion, which fertilizes the surrounding area, providing nutrition for coral growth and seagrass. Without the sea cucumber, acidity in the oceans rises, affecting the overall ocean climate. 

Areas suitable for sea ranching run along the entire Caribbean coastline of Panama and, in some areas, extend out into water for many miles. Just a decade ago, these areas contained healthy populations of sea cucumbers. “Due to the near-extinction of the sea cucumber, Panama joined with several other nations of Latin America and the Caribbean in 2003 in imposing a permanent ban on their collection, possession and sale” (laprensalatina.com). However, they lack the resources to monitor and enforce the ban. There are only two Park Rangers for 38,000 hectares of Portobelo National Park. 

These anthropogenic problems and effects of climate change within the Portobelo National Park are affecting many types of ecosystems such as coastal or terrestrial ecosystems and the fauna that depends on them.

A Solution

Panasea is a sustainable marine aquaculture company dedicated to the cultivation, development, harvesting and repopulation of sea cucumber (Holothuria mexicana) on the Caribbean Coast of Colón, without intervening or affecting the natural population in the area. It will positively impact many ecological aspects such as recovering the population of sea cucumbers and improving the health of reef and seagrass ecosystems.

Their environmental projects seek to have a positive impact on the recovery of coastal marine habitats such as mangroves and reefs, the conservation of valuable fauna such as iguanas, sea turtles and macaws, and working with the National Park community through beach cleaning days and placing marked garbage collection sites to implement a culture change of how solid waste is properly disposed of. Finally, they seek to create environmental awareness in schools through educational talks focused on conservation and impact so that the local population can become the main actors in the mitigation of human impact on the environment.

You can see great examples of PanaSea in action at their YouTube page, panasea.io, and Instagram

Business Activities Geared Towards Reducing Waste, Climate Change Awareness, and Protect Marine and Land Habitats.

Target: 12.5: Work towards reducing waste generation through prevention, reduction, recycling and reuse.

Target: 13.3 Improve education, awareness-raising and human and institutional capacity on climate change mitigation, adaptation, impact reduction and early warning.

Target: 14.2 Sustainably manage and protect marine and coastal ecosystems to avoid significant adverse impacts, including by strengthening their resilience, and take action for their restoration in order to achieve healthy and productive oceans.

Target: 15.2 Promote the implementation of sustainable management of all types of forests, halt deforestation, restore degraded forests and substantially increase afforestation and reforestation globally

Target: 15.5 Seek to reduce the degradation of habitats to halt the loss of biodiversity and extinction of species.

Measured by:

• Number of trash collection posts each quarter

• Total weight of waste collected in beach cleaning this quarter. (kilograms)

• Number of environmental educational presentations held each quarter. 

• Number of individuals who attended environmental educational presentations each quarter. 

• Describe what was conducted for beach cleanup each quarter.

• Number of volunteers who participated in beach cleanup each quarter.

• Number of mangrove propagules sewn each quarter

• Describe what investigation of Sea Cucumber growth occurred each quarter and how has it impacted seagrass health (number of additional seagrass in ecosystem)

• Number of full coral and fish AI survey from drone footage each quarter (number of hectares studied) 

• Number of mangrove seedlings donated each quarter?

• Describe what occurred to prepare for the release of the Iguana’s each quarter

• Number of iguana’s released each quarter/or season

• Describe what occurred to prepare for the release of baby turtles each quarter/season

• Number of nesting sites holding turtle eggs each quarter/season

• Number of  baby turtles released each quarter/or season

• Number of artificial Macaw nesting sites created each quarter/season

• Number of Macaw’s at each nesting site each quarter/season

• Number of fledglings at each nesting site each quarter/season

Panasea is a sustainable marine aquaculture company dedicated to the cultivation, development, harvesting and repopulation of sea cucumber (Holothuria mexicana) on the Caribbean Coast of Colón. Their environmental projects seek to have a positive impact on the recovery of coastal marine habitats such as mangroves and reefs, the conservation of valuable fauna such as iguanas, sea turtles and macaws, and working with the National Park community through beach cleaning days and placing marked garbage collection sites to implement a culture change of how solid waste is properly disposed of. Finally, they seek to create environmental awareness in schools through educational talks focused on conservation and impact so that the local population can become the main actors in the mitigation of human impact on the environment.

What Does Your Donation Go Towards?

• Signage and Trash Collection Stations

• Printed Materials for Local Education

• Tools and Camping Gear for Monitoring Nesting Sites

• Nursery for Mangrove Seed Collection

• Surveying and Monitoring Equipment for Sea Cucumbers, Coral, and Fish.