Improvements in Facilities, Communication and Equipment at Osa Conservation Osa Verde Biological Station, Costa Rica

Friends Of The Osa, Vienna VA

Investigators

Abstract

The Osa Peninsula in Costa Rica contains one of the largest intact forest landscapes in Central America, the largest mangrove system on the Pacific slope, and one of only four tropical fjords on the planet. The nonprofit Osa Conservation has been dedicated to protecting this unique ecosystem for over 14 years. With a new research facility and capabilities, the Osa Verde Biological Station (OVBS), which is owned and operated by Osa Conservation, will dramatically increase the number and type of researchers, while improving the quality and integration of research projects to advance scientific knowledge about the region's ecosystems and tropical habitat conservation. Clientele at the OVBS over the past ten years has included university and high school groups (largely from the US), international researchers, volunteer citizen scientists, and serious naturalists from across the globe. Station usage by education groups has increased steadily over the past 5 years and is expected to continue growing. The new lab will meet the needs of both the increasing number of US education groups and the high-level US researchers from a diversity of subdisciplines that will ultimately produce higher quality projects. By becoming a premier field station in Costa Rica, OVBS will not only advance scientific knowledge about tropical ecology and expand scientific literacy, but also expand collaboration between international researchers, education groups, stakeholders, and decision makers. Applied conservation impact from the OVBS strategic research agenda are vital to conserving this important biodiverse region in perpetuity. Support from NSF will transform the ability of OVBS to successfully draw in a cadre of committed researchers and educators who will become career-long users for their investigation and teaching needs, all while contributing to the body of scientific knowledge that will inform conservation. With greater research capabilities for both scientists and education groups, OVBS will significantly further its five main research areas of: 1) Wildlife Population Monitoring; 2) Tropical Reforestation and restoration techniques; 3) Rewilding and enhancement techniques; 4) Ecological and behavioral studies; and 5) Ecosystem process and function studies. To advance this research agenda, funding from NSF will 1) create a dedicated laboratory building, with both a wet and dry lab; 2) improve electrical power and communications for the laboratory; and 3) purchase and install basic lab equipment that is expected of visiting researchers and student groups. A dedicated lab space will facilitate planning, storage, analysis and training space for innovative research, much of which uses modern technologies and scientific equipment that requires careful controlled storage. These additions will allow for better processing of region-wide remote sensing data, provide better management and storage facilities of the collected data, as well as offer space for regular training courses. The success of research-led conservation efforts at OVBS will become a model for how emerging scientists, established researchers and conservation practitioners can collaboratively bridge field and laboratory research to advance science-driven conservation outcomes. For more information on Osa Conservation Field Station, please visit: www.osaconservation.org This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.