Islas Secas Foundation
The privately funded Islas Secas Foundation (ISF), an affiliate of The Moore Charitable Foundation, supports marine and avian conservation and research, habitat protection and local community programs in the region.
The Islas Secas Foundation Partners:
Panama Audubon Society - Aulas Verdes
To preserve the local mangrove ecosystems and build conservation stewardship within the Bay of Chiriqui, Islas Secas Foundation encouraged Panama Audubon to expand its Aulas Verdes Environmental Education Program based in Panama City to include Chiriqui public schools. With our support, a dedicated local environmental educator, Aulas Verdes provides students and teachers with training, tools and opportunities to raise future nature advocates by developing a lifelong appreciation and love for wildlife and wetlands.
MarViva
Islas Secas Foundation supports MarViva’s effort to convene and coordinate local authorities, scientific expertise, and local fishing communities towards developing regional marine spatial planning for the Gulf of Chiriquí, a region with highly diverse marine ecosystems and multiple users. Work includes developing environmental media campaigns to promote critical marine corridors and advocating for innovation and cooperation between governmental entities for the sustainable use of marine resources.
Panacetacea
Dedicated to the research & conservation of whales and dolphins in Panamanian waters, Panacetacea conducts annual expeditions in the Gulf of Chiriqui to monitor two distinct populations of humpback whales with Islas Secas Foundation support. Photo-ID work and sound recording contribute to population and species mapping and inform management. In 2022, 168 groups with a total of 353 individual whales were identified; 58% of groups included calves, the highest percentage in 10 years.
Wetlands International
Wetlands International (WI) is a global organization dedicated to conserving and restoring wetlands with a strong program in the Eastern Tropical Pacific. In Panama, Islas Secas Foundation supports WI’S mangrove restoration work in the Gulf of Chiriqui to ensure the expansion of an important protected mangrove area. Our grant also supports a pre-feasibility study exploring a carbon offsetting initiative based on wetlands conservation and restoration in Panama.
The Leatherback Project
The Islas Secas Foundation supports The Leatherback Project’s efforts in Panama to conserve endangered sea turtles through satellite tagging, research, education, and advocacy for enduring regional protections. Research confirms that the Pearl Islands Archipelago has important populations of sea turtles and other marine migratory species. TLP is working towards the creation of a wildlife refuge that protects resident and migratory marine megafauna around Saboga Island, and its inclusion in the Eastern Tropical Pacific Marine Corridor, which protects connected marine biodiversity hotspots in the region.
