PROCARIBE+ and the Wider Caribbean sharing best practices at Large Marine Ecosystem (LME) Annual Consultation Meeting in Paris

Represented by our Regional Coordinator Mr Patrick Debels, we come together with Large Marine Ecosystem practitioners to share experiences related to:

Ocean Governance - Replicating approaches such as The wider Caribbean Ocean Coordination mechanism which was recognized as an example amongst LME projects
Data and information sharing/ Infrastructure
Strategically scaling Large Marine ecosystem governance solutions and seeking sustainable finance

What is a LME and why are they important?

Large Marine Ecosystems (LMEs) are regions of ocean space that are connected by ecological criteria, including bathymetry, hydrography, marine productivity, and trophically linked populations. Essentially, instead of managing the ocean country by country, the LME approach manages the ocean by its natural, interconnected ecosystem boundaries.

Globally, there are 66 defined LMEs. The Caribbean Sea LME (CLME) is one of the most unique, ecologically diverse, and geopolitically complex marine regions on Earth. It is the second-largest sea in the world, spanning over 2.5 million square kilometers. The region is home to approximately 10% of the world's coral reefs, roughly 20% of the world's remaining mangrove forests and between 25% to 50% of the world's seagrass beds. This region comprises 26 States and 18 Overseas Territories, of which 16 are Small Island Developing States (SIDS).

The neighboring Northern Brazil shelf LME is closely connected to the CLME. The Northern Brazil shelf LME is an open continental shelf dominated by the massive muddy, freshwater outputs of the Amazon and Orinoco rivers. Instead of coral reefs, its coast is defined by endless mangrove forests and mudflats.

This LME meeting Annual Consultation Meeting serves as an interactive platform for sharing expertise and holding strategic discussions, engaging primarily the Global Environment Facility (GEF)-funded marine portfolio.

The PROCARIBE+ Project, rather than using traditional, fragmented, or country-centered approaches, uses the Ecosystem Based Management System (EBM) framework to address transboundary marine threats. The flagship achievement of the EBM framework is the Ocean Coordination Mechanism (OCM), as well as the work in Marine Protected Areas, Fisheries Replenishment Zones and Marine Spatial Planning across various Caribbean countries.