CARICOMP: A Caribbean Network of Marine Laboratories, Parks, and Coastal Monitoring and Scientific Collaboration

KJERFVE, B.; OGDEN, J. C.; GARZÓN, J.; JORDAN, E.; DE MAYER, K.; PENCHASZADEH, P. E.; 3 COAUTORES MAS

Panamá

Congreso; Eight International Coral Reef Symposium; 1998

University of Panama and the Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute

Caribbean Coastal Marine Productivity (CARlCOMP) is a regional scientific programand a network of marine laboratories, parks, and reserves to study land-sea interactionprocesses in the wider Caribbean región. The program focuses en understanding andcomparing structure and function oí mangroves, seagrasses, and coral reefs - the threemain coastal ecosystems in the Caribbean. The CARICOMP program was established in1985. The CARICOMP network, started in 1990, has to date negotiated with 27institutions in 17 countries to make standardized synoptic ecosystem measurements inrelatively undisturbed mangrove, seagrass, and coral reef systems, together with relevantoceanographic and meteorological measurements. Since 1993, twelve institutionshave fully implemented the protocol, eight institutions have partially implemented.the protocol, and eight institutions have not progressed beyond the planning phase.Detailed site characterizations for 21 oí the 27´participating institutions have beencompleted and are included in this volume. The principal goals oí the program are todetermine the dominant influences en coastal productivity, to monitor for ecosystem