OSIL Buoy Charting New Waters in Central American Pacific

Ocean Scientific International Ltd (OSIL) have manufactured a oceanographic data buoy system, the first of its kind in the Central American Pacific coast.  The buoy system will be used as a floating laboratory platform and has been installed in the Parque Nacional Coiba in Panama for the Estación Científica Coiba (COIBA AIP) to assist with the study and conservation of marine diversity and monitoring climate change. COIBA AIP is set to host the 21st Latin American Congress of Marine Sciences (COLACMAR) in 2026 so is ideally positioned as a regional leader in the study of marine sciences.

Coiba Island is part of the marine corridor of the tropical eastern Pacific, and regularly sees large congregations of different migratory marine species. The buoy will continuously monitor parameters that are crucial to critical migratory events.

Dr. Edgardo Díaz Ferguson, executive director of Coiba AIP, highlighted the international impact of this initiative “Panama is positioned as a regional leader in the study of marine sciences. This advance strengthens our local capacities and allows decision-making based on scientific evidence, essential to face the challenges of the decade of ocean sciences established by UNESCO (2021-2030).”

The 1.2m system is equipped with two multiparameter sondes (one at the surface and another at a depth of 10m) that measure up to 20 environmental parameters including temperature, salinity, sound velocity, dissolved oxygen, pH and Chlorophyll a, and a current profiler. These data will allow real time analysis of the interactions between the ocean and the atmosphere, identification of spatial and temporal patterns, and monitoring of phenomena associated with climate change and oceanographic processes.

OSIL have worked in conjunction with their partners Casco Antiguo in Panamá to curate the system requirements, and supply, install and support the buoy system and instruments for the duration of the deployment.