CARI’MAM scientific survey 2021 : final report

Abstract

More than 30 species of marine mammals inhabit the waters of the Caribbean, which makes it a world hotspot. These highly mobile species are known to move between different Caribbean territories and beyond. Between 2018 and 2021, the CARI’MAM (Caribbean Marine Mammal Preservation Network) project was carried out to develop a network and foster collaboration between Caribbean actors involved in the conservation of marine mammals in the region. Co-funded by the INTERREG Caribbean Program from the European Union, it aimed at providing territories with various socio-economic, legislative and regulatory situations the opportunity to join forces. The objective of this survey was to evaluate cetacean abundance and distribution during the dry season and the wet season respectively in 2021 covering the waters of Anguilla, St Martin, St. Barthelemy, Saba, Statia, Guadeloupe and Martinique. This report presents the methodology and final results of this survey.