Science and research serving effective ocean governance in the wider Caribbean Region

Abstract

The Caribbean and North Brazil Shelf region (collectively the CLME+ region) is one of the most heavily exploited coastal zones in the world and is threatened by a diversity of stressors from local, regional, and global sources. These originate from both natural and anthropogenic sources and may include marine and land-based sources of pollution, discharges from maritime commercial activities, unsustainable fishing practices including overexploitation of fish stocks, and invasions of invasive species. All of these stressors are further influenced by a changing climate. Yet, even in the face of climate change, increasingly more coastal communities are looking at the ocean as the next frontier for economic development. This project identified priority research topics from the perspective of decision makers who are charged with implementing policies because they must have timely and relevant information to effectively create policies that contribute to the sustainability of natural resources. This report represents the results of a project conducted by the Gulf and Caribbean Fisheries Institute (GCFI) designed to identify priority research topics at the nexus of science and policy.