UWI-CERMES, in collaboration with the United Nations Environment (UNEP), is executing a project entitled ‘Biodiversity for Sustainable Development in the Caribbean through Ecosystem-Based Management (EBM)’. This EBM-DSS project is part of the Caribbean & North Brazil Shelf Large Marine Ecosystems (CLME+) Project, which among other things, aims at facilitating EBM in the CLME+ region. UWI-CERMES is a co-executing partner of the CLME+ Project and is also host to the  BIOPAMA Programme which aligns well with EBM-DSS in protected areas.

The project, which was developed by the Caribbean Environment Programme’s (CEP's) Specially Protected Areas and Wildlife Sub-Programme (SPAW) in partnership with the Italian Agency for Cooperation and Development (IACD), aims to develop capacities through the establishment of a regional node for EBM (i.e. CERMES) and an information  Decision Support System (DSS) for strategic/operational planning of marine managed areas (and pilot test their application).

SPAW Factsheet [pdf 101KB]

This EBM-DSS can be used by governments in the Caribbean to make decisions on planning and managing coastal resources through an EBM approach, which may focus on marine protected areas, but not necessarily restricted to them. The project, via the regional node seeks to demonstrate, moving beyond the Business-as-Usual- "sectoral" management, is key to maintaining viable healthy ecosystems and their associated good and services.