Squirrel fish © Flip Nicklin/Minden Pictures

The Gulf of Chiriqui stretches along the Pacific Coast, from the Panamanian border with Costa Rica south to the Azuero Peninsula. It has been identified as the largest coastal-marine priority for Central America, based on its biodiversity.

The waters of the Gulf of Chiriquí nurture the largest continental coral reef in the eastern Pacific. Northern and southern populations of humpback whales mingle in its waters, coming here in the winter months to calf and reproduce, while a variety of dolphin species can be seen here year-round. The Gulf also is home to a range of endangered species, including hawksbill sea turtles.

The Gulf of Chiriqui butts up to Coiba Island National Park, home to at least four species unique to the island and a refuge for scarlet macaws. It is comprised of a wide variety of habitats including lowland Pacific forests, mangroves, sand dunes, and beaches. Eighty percent of the forests on the island are largely untouched, primary forests.

Species

	humpback whale
	rare olive ridley turtle
	hawksbill turtle
	threatened spinner dolphin

Threats

	over-fishing
	unregulated cruise tourism
	coral bleaching
	destructive forces of several El Niño events

What We're Doing
The Nature Conservancy is employing two major strategies in this area to abate the threats and preserve this pristine marine habitat:

	Reduce over-fishing by working with local fishermen to increase their conservation awareness and assisting the Panamanian government to adopt and implement regulatory measures.
	Combat the effect of ocean warming ("bleaching") on coral reefs by implementing a sophisticated coral reef monitoring program that identifies resilient coral reef areas as a measure to help recover decimated areas.