Lima, Peru Smithsonian Conservation Biology Institute

The Central Coast, Peru observatory has been established at an artificial reef situated in a highly productive ecosystem with little hard substrate, providing opportunities to study the dynamics of colonization and ecological succession surrounding marine infrastructure projects.

The MarineGEO site on the Central Coast, Peru, is located 167 km south of Lima and is associated with an LNG international port terminal. The observatory is part of the Biodiversity Monitoring and Assessment Program (BMAP), a strategic conservation and development alliance between the Smithsonian and Peru LNG to identify and recommend best environmental practices and advance marine sciences and conservation. Since 2011, the BMAP provides a long-term research and monitoring framework to understand the dynamics of coastal marine biological communities associated with human-made infrastructure. Smithsonian and Peruvian researchers implement standardized research protocols and experiments around the artificial reef and adjacent natural sediment flats. The location is of high research importance because it is part of the Humboldt Current Large Marine Ecosystem, one of Earth's most productive marine ecosystems. The BMAP integrates the long-term data with environmental and climate information to understand the status and trends of marine biodiversity, from plankton to marine mammals, and their adaptive responses to human activities and environmental variations, including climate. The area is home to several species of conservation concern, including the Humboldt penguin and fish species of commercial importance. 

The Central Coast, Peru observatory welcomes and trains Peruvian undergraduate and graduate students in marine research and biodiversity monitoring, maintains a collaborative network of local and international scientists, and participates in global (e.g., PANAMEX) and continuous (e.g., Panels) experiments. MarineGEO research at Central Coast, Peru focuses mainly on human-built and sediment bottom habitats. 

MarineGEO Team

iNaturalist