For almost thirty years, Steve has overseen STRI’s long-term physical monitoring program. His research currently includes climate monitoring at all of STRI principal research stations located throughout Panama, as well as oceanographic monitoring at numerous locations in both the Atlantic and Pacific oceans.  The data collected by this project are used to support the research of STRI’s scientific mission.

In addition, Steve has helped lead projects designed to document Panama’s diverse biodiversity, particularly within Panama’s extensive mangroves. Following the 2015/16 mangrove die-backs in the Bay of Panama, one of the largest ever recorded in Panama, has help lead research to try to determine the probable causes and consequences of this event, as well as to collect base-line monitoring data of Panama’s coastal ecosystems that can be used to detect and understand potential climate change related impacts in the future.