In March 1995, Susan Stafford (H.J. Andrews) and an NSF Biological Instrumentation and Resources Division (BIR) review team visited the Organization of Tropical Studies (OTS) in San Jose, Costa Rica and its field stations at La Selva, Las Cruces and Palo Verde to assess facilities secured primarily through BIR funding. Reviewers discussed current and long-range research plans at each of the sites and assessed electronic connectivity capabilities.
In 1993 Costa Rica was connected to the Internet and CRNet, a digital backbone linking major institutions in the country, was created. Long-range priorities include improving email connections and accessibility across the network of sites, developing a local-area network (LAN), and establishing a gopher server and WWW home page.
Following the NSF site visit, U.S. LTER Data Manager Rudolf Nottrott (Network Office) met with personnel at each of the field stations to evaluate what opportunities may exist for joint activities on data management tools and protocols, GIS, remote sensing, and simulation modeling, as well as the potential for ILTER participation.