The Caribbean Sea is the heart of Caribbean economic life.   For centuries the Caribbean peoples have relied heavily on the sea for food, transport of goods and services, and over the past 50 years, tourism has become the lifeblood of Caribbean economies.   The Caribbean Sea is the source of the economic opportunities and the border/link for thirty two countries.

The Caribbean Sea Futures Initiative is aimed at developing an inter-disciplinary community of practice and constituency for the sustainable utilization of the Caribbean Sea.

The Initiative will work across various stakeholders to focus on optimizing the value of the Caribbean Sea’s ecosystem of goods and services.

Stakeholders to be addressed include:
Research Academics
FisherFolk
Education Policy Makers and Curriculum Developers
Private Sector Actors

Activities include:
International Academic Exchange  & Planning Meeting 
Online Forums 
Stakeholder Dialogues and National Consultations
Industry Briefings and Consultations

Suggested focus areas for discussion on economic opportunities will include:

• the contribution of sustainable fisheries to food security
• integrated management of marine resources
• water quality and coastal zone management
• sustainable maritime transport /green shipping
• cruise shipping
• ocean energy i.e. marine-based solutions to energy challenges
• seabed mining and telecommunications prospecting