Caribbean Marine Resources

An approach that encompasses the human and natural dimensions of ecosystems is one that the Wider Caribbean Region knows it must adopt and implement, in order to ensure the sustainable use of the region's shared marine resources. This volume contributes towards that vision, bringing together the collective knowledge and experience of scholars and practitioners within the Wider Caribbean to begin the process of assembling a road map towards marine ecosystem based management (EBM) for the region. It also serves a broader purpose of providing stakeholders and policy actors in each of the world's sixty-four Large Marine Ecosystems, with a comparative example of the challenges and information needs required to implement principled ocean governance generally and marine EBM in particular, at multiple levels. Additionally, the volume serves to supplement the training of graduate level students in the marine sciences by enhancing interdisciplinary understanding of challenges in implementing marine EBM.

Many coastal communities in Latin America and the Caribbean depend on the resources provided by reefs for their livelihoods. The Reefs at Risk in the Caribbean project is a response to an information need. The primary goal is to raise awareness and improve management by improving the knowledge base on the status of and threats to coral reefs.

The Blue Economy is emerging on the global scene as a powerful and persuasive new concept for sustainable development based on economic activities associated with the ocean. Several regions globally have adopted this concept at national and regional levels, including the Caribbean. Given the complex, multisectoral and multilevel nature of the Blue Economy, it is clear that different approaches will be needed for different regions. Hence, this volume explores the opportunities, threats and risks involved in operationalising the Blue Economy in the Wider Caribbean Region, defined as northern Brazil to the USA and all mainland and island countries and territories in-between. The first part of the book looks at where the region stands in the global picture regarding adoption of the Blue Economy and what is planned. The second set of chapters examines key crosscutting issues such as ecosystem services, climate change and governance at national and regional levels that could make or break the Blue Economy initiative. The book then goes on to explore the main sectoral activities that will constitute the Blue Economies in the region: fisheries, tourism, shipping and transport, renewable energy, oil and gas, seabed mining and waste management are all considered. The book ends with a synthesis of the political and technical requirements to overcome threats and take advantage of opportunities in the Blue Economy.

As the nations of the Caribbean respond to and prepare for climate change, tourism has the potential to both worsen and mitigate these effects. In this book we look at marine tourism and its connection with ocean health, fisheries, and critical ecosystems, including coral reefs. We consider the role that marine protected areas can play in preserving reefs and other ecosystems, leading to greater resilience in the face of climate change. Finally, we look at how the tourism industry is responding to the threat of climate change, using its economic and social capital to foster positive change in the Caribbean and other parts of the world. While the situation is clearly urgent, we hope this volume provides readers with some optimism, as well as tangible ideas for using tourism to help mitigate the impending effects of climate change on marine ecosystems and economies.