The words Eastern Caribbean evoke visions of white sandy beaches, blue seas, and bright sunshine. Pre-pandemic, the region attracted over 27 million visitors a year with gross revenues from marine and coastal tourism estimated to be US$57 billion in 2017. These activities, as well as other key sectors such as fisheries and shipping, are fundamentally tied to the ocean as are the driving (blue) economic development aspirations of small island developing states (SIDS) in the Eastern Caribbean.
However, the Eastern Caribbean region faces significant ocean governance and sustainability challenges. In the last 50 years, rises in ocean temperatures, over-exploitation of fisheries, damage to habitats and unprecedented pollution have caused a dramatic decline in the Caribbean’s natural environment. Of particular concern, according to the World Bank in 2019, the amount of marine debris, found in the Caribbean marine environment is triple the global average. This is an acute and urgent issue as marine debris has adverse impacts on marine habitats and species, human health as well as socially and economically. Additionally, the region has recently faced vast beach strandings of the normally oceanic seaweed Sargassum.
Recognising that the complex and multifaceted nature of these ocean science and governance challenges, the objective of the proposed Special Issue is to provide a forum for interdisciplinary challenge-led research, especially research perspectives from the region itself. The Special Issue will bring together research papers devoted in particular to enhancing understanding of and addressing governance issues related to the twin issues of marine debris and Sargassum in the Eastern Caribbean. A core objective of the proposed Special Issue is to contribute to strengthening the knowledge-base to support decision-makers on a national and regional level in developing innovative solutions and responses to the complex challenges. Paper proposals are invited on, but are not limited to, the following themes:
Science and Technology:
? Sargassum management and removal measures;
? Marine Scientific Research in the Eastern Caribbean Region: appraising regional scientific and technological capacity and related legal framework;
? Transboundary Marine Spatial Planning as an area-based management tool to address conflicting activities in the marine environment;
Blue and Green Economic Responses:
? Abandoned, Lost and Discarded Fishing Gear management in the Eastern Caribbean;
? Marine debris prevention and reduction measures, including from cruise ships;
? Financing marine debris monitoring and research in the Caribbean region;
? Enhancing health and safety in fisheries and the scuba diving sector.
Societal Awareness:
? Transboundary Strategic Partnerships to manage marine debris in the Eastern Caribbean;
? The implementation of the UN Sustainable Developments Goals in the Eastern Caribbean.
A key objective of the Special Issue is to help to strengthen the knowledge base for decision-makers and stakeholders and to encourage discussion on potential solutions and response options. It is further anticipated that papers show-casing and highlighting on-going initiatives and projects within the region will have broader potential applicability, for instance to others among the 38 SIDS across the global ocean. Paper proposals from researchers from the Eastern Caribbean region are therefore strongly encouraged.
The words Eastern Caribbean evoke visions of white sandy beaches, blue seas, and bright sunshine. Pre-pandemic, the region attracted over 27 million visitors a year with gross revenues from marine and coastal tourism estimated to be US$57 billion in 2017. These activities, as well as other key sectors such as fisheries and shipping, are fundamentally tied to the ocean as are the driving (blue) economic development aspirations of small island developing states (SIDS) in the Eastern Caribbean.
However, the Eastern Caribbean region faces significant ocean governance and sustainability challenges. In the last 50 years, rises in ocean temperatures, over-exploitation of fisheries, damage to habitats and unprecedented pollution have caused a dramatic decline in the Caribbean’s natural environment. Of particular concern, according to the World Bank in 2019, the amount of marine debris, found in the Caribbean marine environment is triple the global average. This is an acute and urgent issue as marine debris has adverse impacts on marine habitats and species, human health as well as socially and economically. Additionally, the region has recently faced vast beach strandings of the normally oceanic seaweed Sargassum.
Recognising that the complex and multifaceted nature of these ocean science and governance challenges, the objective of the proposed Special Issue is to provide a forum for interdisciplinary challenge-led research, especially research perspectives from the region itself. The Special Issue will bring together research papers devoted in particular to enhancing understanding of and addressing governance issues related to the twin issues of marine debris and Sargassum in the Eastern Caribbean. A core objective of the proposed Special Issue is to contribute to strengthening the knowledge-base to support decision-makers on a national and regional level in developing innovative solutions and responses to the complex challenges. Paper proposals are invited on, but are not limited to, the following themes:
Science and Technology:
? Sargassum management and removal measures;
? Marine Scientific Research in the Eastern Caribbean Region: appraising regional scientific and technological capacity and related legal framework;
? Transboundary Marine Spatial Planning as an area-based management tool to address conflicting activities in the marine environment;
Blue and Green Economic Responses:
? Abandoned, Lost and Discarded Fishing Gear management in the Eastern Caribbean;
? Marine debris prevention and reduction measures, including from cruise ships;
? Financing marine debris monitoring and research in the Caribbean region;
? Enhancing health and safety in fisheries and the scuba diving sector.
Societal Awareness:
? Transboundary Strategic Partnerships to manage marine debris in the Eastern Caribbean;
? The implementation of the UN Sustainable Developments Goals in the Eastern Caribbean.
A key objective of the Special Issue is to help to strengthen the knowledge base for decision-makers and stakeholders and to encourage discussion on potential solutions and response options. It is further anticipated that papers show-casing and highlighting on-going initiatives and projects within the region will have broader potential applicability, for instance to others among the 38 SIDS across the global ocean. Paper proposals from researchers from the Eastern Caribbean region are therefore strongly encouraged.
