Mangrove trees overhang the water on Punta Vieja, the southeast tip of Bastimentos Island, Bocas del Toro, Panama. The area is home to four National Protected Areas as well as sea turtles, manatees, and some of the healthiest coral reefs in the Caribbean.
Bocas del Toro, Panama Mangrove trees overhang the water on Punta Vieja, the southeast tip of Bastimentos Island, Bocas del Toro, Panama. The area is home to four National Protected Areas as well as sea turtles, manatees, and some of the healthiest coral reefs in the Caribbean. © Simon Williams/TNC

The land of the sea, the Canal and the Darién

The world's economy depends to a great extent on the good health of the Canal that divides Panama in two. And the Canal depends on the water provided and regulated by the country's forests. Without the environmental services provided by that ecosystem, the global economy would be in danger and all of us would lose a great treasure.