Coastal and Marine Management and Education in the South Eastern Caribbean (CaMMESEC)

Strategic Objectives and expected results

The overall objective of this project was to:
Improve the Southeastern Caribbean’s marine environment, through enhanced access to research and education facilities and expertise, and the exchange of sustainable practices for tropical islands.

Initiatives developed and implemented under this project were encompassed within the following five areas:

1. Enhanced management capacity for Buccoo Reef Marine Park (BRMP) in Tobago – Facilitate integration between key national organisations and stakeholders and provide and coordinate human and technical support and assistance to the MPA manager and staff as they implement local management actions.


2. Enhanced management capacity within the South Eastern Caribbean – Provides managers and teachers from across the region with opportunities for information exchange through “Training of Trainers” workshops, technical and scientific training related to aquaculture development, and networking exercises.


3. Strengthening the sub-regional node of the Global Coral Reef Monitoring Network (GCRMN) – Assist in the collation and dissemination of socio-economic and biological monitoring activities information gathered from coral reefs across the region by GCRMN researchers; provide a focal point, opportunities for information exchange, and improve the inter-regional cooperation of the Caribbean nodes within the GCRMN network.


4. Demonstration of Alternative Income Generating Approaches – Aquaculture projects tested by the Buccoo Reef Trust will be used to demonstrate how the available technology can be applied to provide sustainable livelihoods for poor coastal communities, and shift the reliance on practices which may damage the coral reefs.


5. Education and Awareness – Develop materials on the coral reef environment and their management for dissemination to the general public and schools, and seek opportunities for collaboration with domestic and international universities to encourage stewardship of Tobago’s marine environment and to improve international recognition of the local issues.