Caribbean Connectivity:
Implications for Marine Protected Area Management
Editors: Rikki Grober-Dunsmore, Ph.D.1, Brian D. Keller, Ph.D.2
1National Marine Protected Areas Center
2NOAA Office of National Marine Sanctuaries
Understanding connectivity among coral reef ecosystems is fundamental to
conserving marine biodiversity and fisheries resources in the Caribbean.
Because many marine protected areas (MPAs) are envisioned to enhance and
conserve marine ecosystems on a scale larger than their boundaries,
improving our knowledge of how connectivity functions and the
implications of connectivity across time scales, spatial scales, and
species is crucial for managing MPAs. However, connectivity is poorly
understood and little is known about gene flow or the transport of
diseases, nutrients, and sediments throughout the region. Consequently,
predicting the effects of MPAs on local and regional populations is
challenging.
The purpose of this symposium was to share cross-cutting
research and management approaches for understanding biological
connectivity in the Caribbean Sea and Gulf of Mexico and to provide a
forum for resource managers and the academic community to address
questions on how to apply scientific information to better manage MPAs
in the region.
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