Improving long-term coral reef monitoring in the Wider Caribbean region: Global Coral Reef Monitoring Network - Caribbean accomplishments

Long-term, robust coral reef monitoring coupled with strategic reporting are essential drivers for ecosystem-based management and regional policy processes. Since the restructuring of the Caribbean component of the Global Coral Reef Monitoring Network (GCRMN) in August 2014, the GCRMN-Caribbean has been bolstering its presence and regional acknowledgement as a dynamic network. An expert steering committee and members-at-large have enabled the network to achieve substantial progress. GCRMN-Caribbean bio-physical guidelines have been improved and tested at several sites; communication and experience sharing have increased considerably; capacity building actions have been implemented for coral reef practitioners with a special focus on MPA managers; and there has been collaboration with major Caribbean programmes. This paper reports on the progress of the GCRMN-Caribbean in 2017: the development of socio-economic guidelines for an integrated monitoring approach, the implementation of building capacity projects “for coral reef and human dimensions monitoring within the Wider Caribbean", within a workshop-based training program to increase regional capacity for integrated bio-physical and socio-economic monitoring. Besides its achievements for the year, this paper also reports on GCRMN-Caribbean network challenges and next steps, including development of a standardized data analysis and reporting in 2018 and participation in the International Year of the Reef.