In a significant environmental development, Panama’s deep and cold ocean waters failed to emerge for the first time in 40 years, marking an alarming change in the Gulf of Panama’s marine ecosystem. This extreme failure of upwelling—a natural process that nourishes the region and occurs, like clockwork, every summer—was documented for the first time in 2025. Scientists and environmentalists have expressed alarm at the damage that the event has caused to local fisheries and coral reefs. These ecosystems rely on just a few annual upwelling events for their existence.
The Gulf of Panama exhibits an incredibly high marine biodiversity. This is because between December and April, during Central America’s seasonal dry season, it usually has a pattern of upwelling. This process is essential to maintaining our most productive and environmentally rich fisheries and coral reefs by defending them from thermal stress. As you’ll read below, this year the long anticipated, annual upwelling never materialized. The trade winds reversed, which are the crucial forcing that produces these vital oceanic features.
Causes Behind the Disruption
The research conducted by the Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute (STRI) revealed that the decline in trade wind strength directly contributed to the failure of upwelling in the Gulf of Panama. The review drew attention to the fact that this suppression of Panama’s Pacific upwelling is indicative of a major and alarming planetary change. The region has set records for lowest chlorophyll concentration in its coastal waters. This drop in chlorophyll is particularly alarming since chlorophyll plays a key role in supporting underwater wildlife.
“Upwelling events support highly productive fisheries and help protect coral reefs from thermal stress.” – Natasha Hinojosa
This disturbance to the normal upwelling pattern has led to weaker temperature drops and a reduction in marine productivity. In reality, February has always been a major production peak due to the upwelling usual in the area. The lack of upwelling this year is a troubling sign for the future health of the Gulf’s ecosystems.
Impacts on Marine Life and Local Fisheries
The collapse of upwelling is about to hit local fisheries hard. Fishermen in the region rely on the nutrient-rich waters brought to the surface during these events, which attract various fish species. When these constituents are lacking, fish populations can collapse leading to lost catches. This loss would do irreparable damage to the local economy and food security of communities that depend on fishing as their primary or supplementary source of income.
Additionally, coral reefs in the Gulf of Panama are protected from a lot of outside stresses through the filtering and protective effects of consistent and regular upwelling. These ecosystems are already stressed by climate change and ocean warming, making them more vulnerable to impacts. The trade winds are weakening, which is leading to less upwelling. If finalized, this change will exacerbate the current threats and result in irrevocable harm to coral habitat.
Ongoing Research and Future Outlook
These collaborative research efforts have been crucial in continuing to monitor the situation, and begin to assess the larger implications of this striking environmental anomaly. It research vessel S/Y Eugen Seibold, which serves the study of our ocean and public-atmosphere conditions in the South Pacific Ocean. It does this by facilitating close collaboration with the Max Planck Institute for Chemistry and STRI. This study seeks to better understand how shifting climatic conditions are affecting marine ecosystems.
The recent study published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences highlights the urgency of addressing these changes. Through innovative research, scientists are unraveling the intricacies of Panama’s unique marine ecosystems. They’re doing all they can to come up with strategies that will lessen the negative effects.