Funding Agency:  Environmental Foundation of Jamaica

Coastal ecosystems have been degraded by increasing anthropogenic stresses super-imposed on natural local, regional and global trends. Primary productivity and biodiversity of coastal ecosystems are important indicators of present and future yields of inshore marine resources. Little is known about the baseline status of Jamaica’s major coastal ecosystems in their specific locations. The lack of adequate baseline data or capacity to synthesize and interpolate existing data sets thereby enhancing local capacity to detect and predict threshold ecosystem changes will continue to impact our ability to implement timely and effective response management measures to environmental threats. The formulation of local and regional environmental management strategies to rehabilitate critically degraded areas cannot be achieved without access to comprehensive, time series, site specific data sets.

The original CARICOMP Project was a regional monitoring program for the long term assessment of trends in key variables in the major Caribbean coastal ecosystems. It depended on the utilisation of specifically designed research protocols including observations on significant transient phenomena e.g. changes in sea urchin population numbers or the increased incidence of mortality from coral diseases or bleaching events. It suffered from a lack of funding and human resources. Insufficient use has also been made of the long-term data sets generated by this and associated research projects such as AGRRA, CPACC & REEFCHECK. These data are intended to serve as the basis for identifying local problems and establishing meaningful criteria and guidelines for appropriate decisions regarding ecosystem management, conservation and habitat restoration.

In addition to the original CARICOMP site, this project also monitors a relatively pristine coral reef area; a nearby hotel development site and a cruise ship port construction site that involves coral relocation as mitigation for the dredging needed to develop the port area. This information will assist in the development of appropriate management and rehabilitative decisions for the islands coastal ecosystems as required by future development projects.