“The capacity to get under the surface in order to understand these differences, to balance one against another, and try to resolve them is the hallmark of the global citizen.”

For me, the characteristics that help shape a global engagement with the world are curiosity, open-mindedness, and empathy. Simply knowing, tolerating, and accepting other perspectives allows for a mental distance between you and the place you’re traveling to, which gives a sort of relief and retreat back into your personal mental comfort zone. Attempting to create a world-view requires the intentional challenging of your own ideologies, refusing to accept anything at face value and critically examining the reason for why things are (and why you think things are the way they are).

After talking to people who have grown up in multiple parts of the world, I think that global citizenship exists. Some people cannot point to specific GPS locations for where they formed their identity and values. Instead, they point to the constant and iterative process of communicating ideas with a diverse global community of people. Especially now, we are invited to consider history and culture from a variety of viewpoints (hopefully), so I think all of us have in us a bit of global citizenship.

Would I consider myself a global citizen? Probably not. I think I still have a lot of ground to cover before I can call myself a person with strong global citizenship. I have for the most part spent the past 20 summers in Houston, Texas with my parents, which has created a large safety net for me. I am at minimum able to more clearly identify the reasons behind my personal values and beliefs. I don’t know if I aspire to have the title of a global citizen, either. I think that empathy can be developed anywhere, but perhaps travelling to a new country and culture more explicitly encourages such personal growth.

One of the most tangible ways I can be more globally engaged on this trip is to refuse to settle for only a scientific perspective on the natural wonders around me. Personally, science is one of my mental safety nets because it is supposed to be standardized and objective.

“Science often offers a powerful protection against fundamentalism and extremism. It is concerned with observable reality and, refreshingly, makes no claims for eternal truths.”

However, the social implications and human components of science can never be removed. How can we better address issues facing our natural environments if we do not to consider the human-nature interface? While not all biologists are necessarily doing conservation-based research, I think that they should all have a civic responsibility in making sure their projects actually benefit the places in which they execute their projects. Otherwise, their findings may only exist in an intellectual space that bolsters itself and nothing else. Leaving this critical engagement to someone else, unfortunately is no longer excusable now when humans continue to exploit natural resources and degrade whole ecosystems. The complexity and ambiguity of a scientific problem and its associated social implications are intertwined and part of what makes discovering something new rewarding and enlightening.

This view of scientific global engagement may be a product of my idealistic millennial mind who has yet to face the logistical constraints of tackling every aspect of marine biology and conservation all at once. However, I think it’s my responsibility to give it an honest try.

P.S. This post was written on my flight to Panama but I was supposed to have done it before this – hopefully international airspace is one of those tricky exceptions that will allow the CCL to forgive me.

Article 1: Panama Seeks Adventurers, Not Tourists in New Campaign from VML

The Panamanian government, specifically the Tourism Authority of Panama, has invested in a new tourism advertising campaign that sets apart its tropical wonders from those of other Latin American countries. Although bustling with new development, Panama is reframed in these advertisements to be for travelers…not for tourists. This may be due to the lack of easily accessible and ubiquitous luxury vacation experiences. The untouched beauty of natural ecosystems is closer to Panama’s unique identity – interestingly, it’s one that’s created by VML, a marketing and advertising agency based in the United States.

“The Central American country has few all-inclusive luxury resorts. The region doesn’t offer all-you-can-eat buffets. And Panama isn’t meant for those that need hand-holding. In short, there are tourists and there are trailblazers. And Panama is looking to attract the latter.”

It’s clear the Panamanian government is trying to attract a particular type of international visitor – one who is younger, low maintenance, and willing to explore uncharted territories that may be rough around the edges. It seems culturally precarious, though, to have outsiders try to represent authentic and unique Panamanian culture. In watching the flashy, well-edited, and fast-paced video linked in the article, I could barely recognize some of the sights that I saw while studying abroad there. I can see how these videos would attract people like me, who want to stray away from the stereotype of a typical shallow tourist seeking a tropical getaway . But calling outside visitors/tourists/travelers as the “trailblazers” of the country removes Panama of its own integrity, culture, and history.  In short, the videos are cinematic, but not particularly informative, potentially selling Panama in the wrong way.

Article link (with video): https://www.mediapost.com/publications/article/301018/panama-seeks-adventurers-not-tourists-in-new-camp.html

Article 2: Spotlight: Social Effects of the Panama Canal

The Panama Canal is one of the Seven Wonders of the Modern World. It bridges two oceans and holds the global economy together, but also has a number of social implications that can be felt by all Panamanians. Only certain sectors of society are able to benefit from the canal, but because the canal has such a stronghold on the functioning of the country, there have been political and social movements addressing how Panama’s economy needs to diversify so that even those far removed from the canal can create a livelihood for themselves. The exclusionary practices of the canal can be attributed some to the massive amount of U.S influence in the country when Americans were in charge of it. With the recent expansion of the canal to accommodate even larger vessels, the question of how the money is distributed within Panama, and what that means for people who do not directly receive employment from the canal, will be crucial to address in the next coming years.

Milaflores Lock, one of three locks in the Panama Canal.

Although the Panama Canal is the most prominent way in which Panama is using its waterways for economic gains, it is by no means the only way in which the country uses water as a major source of wealth. In other parts of Panama, I have observed how damming rivers for electricity has threatened indigenous livelihoods and led endemic and undiscovered species to rapid extinction. Because of these large influxes of money circulating amongst only a certain group of individuals, Panama is an incredibly socially stratified country. But some of the happiest people I met were in more remote parts of the country, living and tending to small agricultural farms with their families nearby. It does not excuse, however, the social responsibility the government has to all of its people, regardless of their involvement with the Panama Canal.

Article link: http://news.wjct.org/post/spotlight-social-effects-panama-canal

Article 3: Young Mangrove Defenders Fight to Save Panama’s Wetlands

This short film by Christopher Springate highlights the problems of mangrove and wetland conservation in Panama’s Chiriquí Province. This area has seen massive amounts of deforestation due to the agricultural demands placed on the land. Over 50% of Panama’s mangroves have disappeared as a result, some of which is for the leather tanning industry that uses the Red Mangrove species to give their leather its characteristic red color. Although people are generally aware of the biodiversity mangroves support, there are still challenges to creating economic alternatives for locals who might need to clear mangrove forests for cattle ranching and farming. However, international initiatives for conservation are supporting local schoolchildren by teaching them the importance of mangroves and helping them grow mangroves to be replanted in nearby deforested areas. One small girl explained that it would help bring the animals back and help her father bring more fish to the table. In addition, scientists are taking samples of mangroves to try and understand the amount of carbon dioxide mangroves intake – some estimates are that mangroves can take up to five times more carbon dioxide than normal trees.

Me gracefully getting onto our boat after a long day of mangroves data collection. A preview to what I will look like this summer! Photo by: Cayla Carson

This article helps give some societal context to the research I will be doing in Bocas del Toro, which is located in the province right next to the Chiriquí Province. In a lot of ways, the agricultural runoff has affected the marine biology of the rest of the Chiriquí Lagoon, which I will be sampling some from. Wetlands conservation is incredibly important, and part of my research helps inform that by examining the amount of fish biodiversity that can be found in mangroves, specifically Red Mangroves since they are the ones at the outermost fringe between land and water. I hope that I can meet with some people from these conservation efforts while I am in the area to get a more nuanced perspective on the difficulties of protecting and replenishing wetlands. Chiriquí to me represents the breadbasket of Panama, so there are definitely implications to reducing agricultural activity in this region for reforestation. However, slowly transitioning to more sustainable methods like agroforestry and organic farming may help.

Article link (with 7-minute video): http://www.dw.com/en/global-ideas-panama-mangroves-children/a-37742746

Article 4: Detection of a Diverse Marine Fish Fauna Using Environmental DNA from Seawater Samples

This paper by Thomsen et al. in 2012 describes the potential of using environmental DNA (eDNA) to study fish diversity in marine habitats. It overall summarizes how traditional methods of fish surveying, which largely include a specialized diver doing fish counts in the water, can lead to human errors like misidentification and overall underestimation of fish diversity. This was the first paper to use environmental DNA directly from the seawater to study marine fish biodiversity. They used next-generation sequencing of PCR amplicons and obtained DNA samples from 15 different fish species as a result. These included economically important fish species as well as rare species that have not been reported from conventional monitoring. Overall, they concluded that even small samples of seawater can contain a wide range of fish species in local areas. Additionally, they found that eDNA fragments degrade within days.

An artistic rendition of eDNA sampling of marine environments by Kelly Lance.

This paper was one of the first I turned to when I was setting up my Wagoner project and attempting to understand the methodology behind eDNA sampling and analysis. I think it is really fascinating that marine sampling for fish diversity in this way has only been around for the past five years, but holds great potential for monitoring efforts in the future. I know from firsthand experience that trying to count fish and identify them to the species level on the spot without error is incredibly challenging, especially if you are not scuba diving. Additionally, I oftentimes scared fish away by swimming near them, which made my data more erroneous. Since eDNA only stays detectable in marine environments for a few days, I can capture a larger moment in time than when I was counting fish for one or two hours in the water. Additionally, I am able to (with some reliability) say that the fish species I have found in my samples were in that area fairly recently. I hope that I can add to this body of research for highly productive shallow water Caribbean ecosystems.

Citation: Thomsen, Philip Francis, et al. “Detection of a diverse marine fish fauna using environmental DNA from seawater samples.” PLoS one 7.8 (2012): e41732.

Rodrigo Trujillo (McMutry, ’20) was born a global citizen and is likely to remain one his entire life. Although his mother is Argentinian and father is Salvadorian, Rodrigo’s lineage traces back to Italy, Germany, France, Spain, and the United States.

Rodrigo identifies himself as a third culture kid – he’s lived and studied in five different countries all over Latin America but was educated under an American school system and has maintained an international network of friends, family, and employers. Before his freshman year at Rice, he attended Balboa Academy, a high school located in Panama City, Panama.

“There’s something magical about living in a place where you are surrounded by a tropical rainforest on one side and an ocean with amazing beaches on the other. It makes the city feel as if it’s connected to the earth.”

Needless to say, Rodrigo misses all aspects of Panama, especially since he likes outdoor activities including hiking, surfing, and playing soccer.

In transitioning to American life, he had the biggest culture shock when he discovered the close-mindedness of some Americans. After having a global perspective his entire life, Rodrigo was surprised to meet individuals who had a skewed or erroneous view of the world and the problems it faced.

“It seemed almost as if the U.S. is a bubble that isolates people from real problems plaguing the rest of the planet…I have learned to be more tolerant and to recognize that other people had different upbringings than I did.”

Rodrigo also noted adjustments to other parts of American life, including feeling safe enough to bike alone in large American cities and interacting with people of different socioeconomic backgrounds. While some Latin American cities are largely developed, it was not safe enough for him to leave home alone sometimes. Also, attending only international private schools limited the amount of time he spent in conversation with people of different economic statuses. However, after taking a sociology class at Rice, Rodrigo now has a better grasp on how history can have a profound impact on current social problems and larger issues.

Unsurprisingly, Rodrigo advised me to keep an open mind when considering all Panama has to offer. A little courage and spontaneity are the keys to seeing how interesting and exciting Panama can be – bustling metropolises, smaller shanty towns, and pristine rainforests are all within an hour’s drive. While I have gotten a mere glimpse of the amazing range of experiences Panama has after my study abroad program there last fall, I look forward to returning and exploring new sights and sounds! Thanks Rodrigo for the insightful chat!