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Home: ABOUT: Ecology: Ecosystems: Large Marine Ecosystems (LMEs): Caribbean Sea LME

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Caribbean Sea LME

Maintained by FAO-FI

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Introduction

The Caribbean Sea and adjacent Large Marine Ecosystems include a wide variety of tropical ecosystems and associated biodiversity. The area encompasses a proportion of the world’s coral reef resources, including the second longest barrier reef, the Meso-American Barrier Reef System. For more information about the coral images, go to Shifting Baselines.

Photo title: Caribbean coral in 1960

Photo credit: Illusion Arts

Photo title: Caribbean Coral Now

Photo credit: Illusion Arts

Fisheries play a major role in Caribbean countries. The fisheries of greatest importance are offshore Pelagics, reef fishes, lobster, conch, shrimps, continental shelf demersal fishes, deep slope and bank fishes and coastal pelagics. There is a variety of less important fisheries such as for marine mammals, sea turtles, sea urchin, and seaweeds. Fishery types vary widely in state of exploitation, vessel and gear used, and approach to their development and management. Most coastal resources are considered to be over exploited and there is increasing evidence that pelagic predator biomass has been severely depleted.

Management and Governance

Sustainable management of shared living marine resources of the Caribbean Large Marine Ecosystem and adjacent areas is the overall objective of the WW2BW (White Water to Blue Water) project that is being conducted through an integrated management approach that will meet the World Summit on Sustainable Development (WSSD) target for sustainable fisheries.

Throughout the Caribbean, the majority of the population inhabits the coastal zone, and there is a very high dependence on marine resources for livelihoods from fishing and tourism, particularly among the small island developing states (SIDS). The region is characterized by a diversity of national and regional governance and institution arrangements, stemming primarily from the governance structures established by the countries that colonized the region.

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Frances B. Michaelis

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Dr Frances B Michaelis, Editor, UN Atlas of the Oceans. Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) Consultant, support from Scripps Institution of Oceanography, UCSD and National Marine Fisheries Service, USA.
International Research Associate, Reef and Rainforest Research Centre

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