Goal: Improve the management of Panama’s expanded Cordillera de Coiba Managed Resources Area (ARMCC) by supporting the design and implementation of a control and surveillance strategy

The Alliance’s partners for this engagement include the Panamanian Ministry of the Environment, MigraMar, Skylight, and WildAid Marine to develop and implement effective strategies for monitoring and enforcing protections. 

The expanded ARMCC is located off the western coast of Panama, covering 67,908 km² of ocean. The protected area contains nine mountain ranges, twenty-four seamounts, and an abyssal trench that extends to depths of 4,745 meters. The region is home to over 322 fish and mammal species, 12 of which are protected according to the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), including blue, sperm, and fin whales. ARMCC is part of a submerged volcanic mountain chain that serves as an important swimway for migratory species, connecting the Cocos Island (Costa Rica), the Islands of Malpelo and Gorgona (Colombia), and the Galapagos Islands (Ecuador) with the Island of Coiba (Panama).  

ARMCC was originally designated in 2015 and expanded in 2021. Two thirds of the area are fully protected from damaging extractive activities, such as industrial fishing and seabed mining, with the remaining one third restricted to sustainable use. The management plan allows Panama to change spatial designation of these two thirds if new research is developed to justify shifts in protection. 

As a signatory of the Eastern Tropical Pacific Marine Corridor, an initiative to form a network of interconnected marine protected areas between Costa Rica, Ecuador, Panama, and Colombia, the expansion of ARMCC demonstrates Panama’s commitment to marine protection and sets a precedent for conservation across the region.   

In partnership with MigraMar, Skylight, and WildAid Marine, the Blue Nature Alliance successfully supported the Panamanian Ministry of the Environment with the development and implementation of strategies for monitoring and enforcement in the marine protected area (MPA). Milestones achieved include:  

• A comprehensive marine protection system strategy for the MPA was elaborated and formally endorsed by the Ministry of the Environment. 
• Skylight, an AI-powered maritime monitoring and analysis platform, was provided at no cost to the Ministry of the Environment of Panama and the Authority of Aquatic Resources of Panama.
• Durable regulations, plans, and protocols were put in place to enable effective enforcement of the area.