Improvements in Facilities, Communication and Equipment at Osa Conservation Osa Verde Biological Station, Costa Rica

哥斯达黎加的奥萨半岛拥有中美洲最大的完整森林景观之一，太平洋斜坡上最大的红树林系统，以及地球上仅有的四个热带峡湾之一。非盈利组织奥萨保护组织14年来一直致力于保护这一独特的生态系统。有了新的研究设施和能力，由奥萨保护组织拥有和运营的奥萨佛德生物站（OVBS）将大大增加研究人员的数量和类型，同时提高研究项目的质量和整合，以推进有关该地区生态系统和热带栖息地保护的科学知识。在过去的十年里，OVBS的客户包括大学和高中团体（主要来自美国）、国际研究人员、志愿公民科学家和来自世界各地的严肃自然主义者。在过去的5年里，教育团体对电台的使用稳步增长，预计还会继续增长。新实验室将满足越来越多的美国教育团体和来自不同分支学科的高水平美国研究人员的需求，这些研究人员最终将产生更高质量的项目。通过成为哥斯达黎加的首要野外观测站，OVBS不仅将促进有关热带生态学的科学知识和扩大科学素养，而且还将扩大国际研究人员、教育团体、利益相关者和决策者之间的合作。OVBS战略研究议程的应用保护影响对于永久保护这一重要的生物多样性区域至关重要。国家科学基金会的支持将改变OVBS的能力，使其能够成功地吸引一批忠诚的研究人员和教育工作者，他们将成为他们的调查和教学需求的终身用户，同时为保护的科学知识做出贡献。随着科学家和教育团体的研究能力的提高，OVBS将显著推进其五个主要研究领域：1)野生动物种群监测；2)热带再造林与恢复技术；3)野化和增强技术；4)生态学和行为学研究；5)生态系统过程与功能研究。为了推进这一研究议程，NSF将提供资金：1)建造一座专用的实验室大楼，包括干湿实验室；2)改善实验室的电力和通信；3)购买和安装访问研究人员和学生团体所需的基本实验室设备。专门的实验室空间将促进创新研究的规划、存储、分析和培训空间，其中许多研究使用现代技术和科学设备，需要仔细控制存储。这些增加的设施将有助于更好地处理全区域的遥感数据，为收集到的数据提供更好的管理和储存设施，并为定期培训班提供空间。OVBS以研究为主导的保护工作的成功将成为新兴科学家、成熟研究人员和保护实践者如何合作，将实地研究和实验室研究联系起来，以推进科学驱动的保护成果的典范。有关奥萨自然保护站的更多信息，请访问：www.osaconservation.orgThis该奖项反映了美国国家科学基金会的法定使命，并通过基金会的知识价值和更广泛的影响审查标准进行评估，认为值得支持。

The Osa Peninsula in Costa Rica contains one of the largest intact forest landscapes in Central America, the largest mangrove system on the Pacific slope, and one of only four tropical fjords on the planet. The nonprofit Osa Conservation has been dedicated to protecting this unique ecosystem for over 14 years. With a new research facility and capabilities, the Osa Verde Biological Station (OVBS), which is owned and operated by Osa Conservation, will dramatically increase the number and type of researchers, while improving the quality and integration of research projects to advance scientific knowledge about the region's ecosystems and tropical habitat conservation. Clientele at the OVBS over the past ten years has included university and high school groups (largely from the US), international researchers, volunteer citizen scientists, and serious naturalists from across the globe. Station usage by education groups has increased steadily over the past 5 years and is expected to continue growing. The new lab will meet the needs of both the increasing number of US education groups and the high-level US researchers from a diversity of subdisciplines that will ultimately produce higher quality projects. By becoming a premier field station in Costa Rica, OVBS will not only advance scientific knowledge about tropical ecology and expand scientific literacy, but also expand collaboration between international researchers, education groups, stakeholders, and decision makers. Applied conservation impact from the OVBS strategic research agenda are vital to conserving this important biodiverse region in perpetuity. Support from NSF will transform the ability of OVBS to successfully draw in a cadre of committed researchers and educators who will become career-long users for their investigation and teaching needs, all while contributing to the body of scientific knowledge that will inform conservation. With greater research capabilities for both scientists and education groups, OVBS will significantly further its five main research areas of: 1) Wildlife Population Monitoring; 2) Tropical Reforestation and restoration techniques; 3) Rewilding and enhancement techniques; 4) Ecological and behavioral studies; and 5) Ecosystem process and function studies. To advance this research agenda, funding from NSF will 1) create a dedicated laboratory building, with both a wet and dry lab; 2) improve electrical power and communications for the laboratory; and 3) purchase and install basic lab equipment that is expected of visiting researchers and student groups. A dedicated lab space will facilitate planning, storage, analysis and training space for innovative research, much of which uses modern technologies and scientific equipment that requires careful controlled storage. These additions will allow for better processing of region-wide remote sensing data, provide better management and storage facilities of the collected data, as well as offer space for regular training courses. The success of research-led conservation efforts at OVBS will become a model for how emerging scientists, established researchers and conservation practitioners can collaboratively bridge field and laboratory research to advance science-driven conservation outcomes. For more information on Osa Conservation Field Station, please visit: www.osaconservation.orgThis award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.