Caribbean Sea Ecosystem Assessment (CARSEA) A contribution to the Millennium Ecosystem Assessment prepared by the Caribbean Sea Ecosystem Assessment Team 1.0 INTRODUCTION as a biodiversity hot spot, mentmg global pnonty lor conservation purposes (Myers et al. 2000).' Although this classilication rellecls the diversity and vulnerability or land-based nora and fauna, the many interactions between marine life and island habitats make it highly relevant to the global importance of the Caribbean Sea ecosystem. 1.1 Rationale The Caribbean Large Murine Ecosystem (CLME) is the second largest sea in the world, covering an an:a of approximately 2,515, 900 km' (NOAA 2003 ), and comprising some of the territorial waters and coastal areas or 39 bordering countries and tctTilories. 0 The wellbeing or the 116 million people living within I 00 km of the sea (Burke and Maidens 2004) is highly dcpcndcm on the services it provides as an ecosystem. Critical among these is the unique charucter of its coastlines and open waters, making it a desirable place to live and to visit: in the terminology orthe Millennium Ecosystem Assessment (!VIi\, www.mnweb.org), this desirability translates into a range of cultural services based on the recreational and aesthetic value or the land and seascape. The economics of the Caribbean islands arc especially dependent on these functions of the marine environment that support tourism. Another key ecosystem service linked to well-being in the region is the availability or fish and marine invertebrates, a provisioning service within the !VIA definitions. The Caribbean Sea has also been critically assessed and mnked by expert consensus as having the highest priority for conservation or any marine ceo-region in the whole of Latin America and the Caribbean (Sullivan Sealey and Bustmnante 1999). The two ecologically distinct small island groups or the region, the Bahamian and the Lesser Antilles, each have very high percentages of endemic species,' many of which nrc endangered. Also the Caribbean islands as a whole have been classilied However, the management or the Caribbean Sea is characterized by uncoordinated el1orts without any holistic integrated management plan. This fragmentation involves not only the 22 independent countries in the region, including 9 from mainland South and Central America, but also 17 tetTitories administen:d by colonial authorities from North America and Europe -- the United States of America (U.S.A.), France, the United Kingdom (U.K.), and the Netherlands (sec Box 1.1 ). The Caribbean Sea is also used and impacted by many states and their economic interests which lie outside the geographical boundaries of the Sea (lor example, Japan, Korea, Fnmce, U.K., and the U.S.A.). At present, there appears to be a mismatch between the managerial capabilities of authorities in the region, and ll1e scale or important problems related to ovcrlishing, pollution, und unsustainable tourism. Management is organized primarily at the level or individual countries or politicul blocs, while what is required is to deal with marine environmental problems at the scale of the entire ecosystem. This disjuncture suggests the need for broader, more inclusive, and better co-ordinated managerial arrangements. The Caribbean Sea Ecosystem Assessment (CARSEA) attempts to deal with the multiplicity or issues associated .;The C.tribbcan l!ilands meet the criteria of n hut spot bl.!causc they have ll.!s.s tlmn 30!'!.:·, rl.':maining of primary vt!gctation (the figure is I 1.3%) umJ <.:ontuin. us endemics. ul lcust 0.5%, i.e.. 1.500 uf the world's known \':ascul:u plant (the Caribhcmt figure is .2.3%). The numhcr :!A precise definition of whut is mcanl by tht! Caribbean is sci out in of endemic vertebrate spccics, 779, t.H:count:-; fur 2.9% of the world's total. cl r.mkcd the C:1ribbcan as the lil\h 'hottest' hot spot according Section 1.2:. 3Spccics which uccur no where else in Ihe world. to various criteria. after Madagascar, Phillippincs, Sunt.fuluml. uml Brazil's Atlantic Forest. CARIBB. MAR. Snm., Sr•ECIAL EnrnoN, 2007 -22-