2 CARIBU. MAR. STUD .. SPECIAL Box 1.1: Countries and Territories Bordering the Caribbean Sea Anguilla (U.K.) Mn/1/sermt (U.K.} Antigua and Barbuda :Hartinique (France) 5 ..lruha (Netlwrlallll.\·) Panama* Balmmus Puerto Rico (U.S.A.) rationale behind the 'Greater Caribbean' definition is that the oceanography of the southern Caribbean is strongly inlluenccd by the outllow of two of the world's largest river systems (the Amazon and the Orinoco), and that the Caribbean in turn has a great inllucnce on the "downstream" Gulf of Mexico--so the Gulf and the Guianan region of the Atlantic Ocean arc included . From a geographical and political perspective, several overlapping groupings of countries in the region present a confusing framework lor the governance of the Caribbean Sea: Barbados Belize"' British 1·/rgiu Island' (U.K.) Nelhcrlond Antilles (Netil.): Curm;ao, Bonaire, SJ. Maarteu. SJ. Eus/atius. Caymau lslamls (U.K.) Saba Colombia* Nicamgua 111 Costa Rica* St. BarlluHem.t· (France!' The Caribbean Community (CARICOM) grouping of Antigua and Barbuda, Bahamas, Barbados, Belize, Dominica, Grenada, Guyana, Haiti, Jamaica, Montserrat, St. Kitts/Nevis, St. Lucia, St. Vincent and the Grenadines, Suriname. Trinidad and Tobago; Cuba Dominica St. Lucia Dominican Republic St. Marlin (France) Grenada St. Vincent and the Grenadines Guadeloupe (Fraucc} Gmttcmala* Haiti llondums* The Organization of Eastern Caribbean States (OECS) grouping of six eastern Caribbean Islands: Antigua and Barbuda, Dominica, Grenada, St. Kitts/Nevis, St. Lucia, and St. Vincent; The ACS grouping (also called the Greater Caribbean or Caribbean Basin), including all the island and mainland states in the CARSE!\ dc!inition, plus El Salvador, Guyana, Suriname. and French Guiana. Trinidad and Tobago Turks aud Caicos (U. K} U.S. f.lrgiuls/ands (U.S.A.) 1.3 Framework for the Caribbean Sen Ecosystem Assessment Venezuela* .lamaicn Non:: Ovcrscas/dl!pendcnt territories are shown in italics. with their metropolitan countries in parentheses. *Continental states bordering the Caribbean Sea. 1 Re-cognized as a territory of Fmncc on February 22, 2007. with effective protection and management of a Sea shared among so many individual states, political systems, economics, languages, and cultures. 1.2 Delinition of the Caribbean Sea The geographic locus of the assessment is the area known as the CLME and the countries and ten·itmics bordering this marine expanse (Fig 1.1 ), an area which will subsequently be referred to as the Wider Caribbean. However, it should be noted that a larger region, known as the Greater Caribbean, has been recognized in international agreements including the 1994 Convention, which set up the Association of Caribbean States (ACS). The scientific 5Martiniquc is u department of FrJncc. EDITION, 2007 The Caribbean Sea Ecosystem Assessment is an approved project of the Millennium Ecosystem Assessment. In addition to the global assessment carried out between 1001 and 1005, the MA supported a number of subglobal studies applying the same conceptual framework to ecosystems and human communities at various lower scales, ranging li·om small localities to major world regions. This is one of those sub-global assessments. The lour-year intcmational work progmmmc of the MA, launched by the then UN Secretary-General Koli Annan in 1001, was designed to meet the needs or decision-makers lor scientific information on the links between ecosystem services and human well-being. It was a response to the recognition that people depend on ecosystems not only lor providing basic needs (provisioning service.v) such as food, fresh water, and timber, but also lor essential regulating services such as purification of air, filtration of water pollulants, and protection ti·om extreme events such as st01ms and lidal surges. Supporting services, including soil !ormation, pollination, and nutrient cycling, provide indirect benefits to people by creating the conditions -23-