Popular legend has it that the vast Bay of Panama was named for its abundant marine life—“Panama” is said to have meant “many fish” in a native tongue. Today, however, the impression produced by bay waters fronting Panama City and the Pacific entrance to the inter-oceanic canal is not so much one of many fish, but of much pollution. Centuries of untreated sewage discharge have turned this portion of the estuary into a dark, foul-smelling soup. Panama City and neighboring communities dump more than 125 metric tons of untreated wastewater into the estuary every day, about 50,000 tons annually. To make matters worse, natural currents that once flushed out this end of the bay have been obstructed since the United States built... [Log in to read more]