The Caribbean Coastal Marine Productivity Program (CARICOMP)

CARICOMP is a regional scientific program to study land-sea interaction processes in the Caribbean coastal zone. It has been collecting data since 1992, when a Data Management Centre was established at the University of the West Indies in Jamaica. Initially it focuses on documenting the structure and productivity of major coastal communities (mangrove forests, seagrass meadows and coral reefs) at relatively undisturbed sites in diverse physical settings. Second, by regular recording of physical and biological parameters, it monitors for change, seeking to distinguish natural from anthropogenic disturbance. Third, it constitutes a regional network of observers, able to collaborate on studies of region-wide events. Examples are presented of the diverse data sets collected by the Program.