Wider Caribbean Region

Regional Initiatives

• WWF & the Mesoamerican Reef

  WWF's vision: Enhance the health of the Mesoamerican Reef’s diverse ecosystems and provide sustainable livelihoods for local people.

• The Nature Conservancy & the Caribbean

  Learn about the Nature Conservancy's work in and initiatives for the Caribbean.

• East End Marine Park, St. Croix

  East End Marine Park, the first territorial park in the U.S. Virgin Islands, will protect the largest island barrier reef system in the Caribbean. Legislative approval recently made the area an official park. Extending from the high-water mark out three miles (4.8 kilometers), it encompasses 60 square miles (155.4 square kilometers) of offshore coral reef and other marine habitat.

• The Nature Conservancy & Belize

  Belize has a wealth of biodiversity with both lush forests as well as impressive coral reefs. Learn more about The Nature Conservancy's work and initiatives there.

• The Nature Conservancy & the Chesapeake Bay

  The Chesapeake Bay has a shoreline longer than the West Coast of the United States. Learn more about The Nature Conservancy's work and initiatives there.

• The Florida Reef Resilience Program

  Can corals survive our changing climate? The Florida Reef Resilience Program brings scientists, reef managers and resource user groups together to develop strategies to improve the health of Florida’s reefs and enhance the economic sustainability of reef-dependent commercial enterprises.

• The Nature Conservancy Caribbean Challenge

  The Nature Conservancy has pledged $20 million to support The Caribbean Challenge, an unprecedented commitment by Caribbean governments to support and manage new and existing national parks and protected areas throughout the region.

• IUCN Caribbean Initiative

  The World Conservation Congress held from 5 to 14 October in Barcelona, marked an important landmark for the Caribbean, with the launch by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) of a new Initiative for the region.

• Sylvia Earle Alliance - Hope Spots

  Hope Spots are special places that are critical to the health of the ocean, Earth's blue heart. Some of these Hope Spots are already protected, while others are important enough that it is imperative that they be protected. About 12% of the land around the world is now under some form of protection (as national parks, world heritage sites, monuments, etc.), while less than one percent of the ocean is protected in any way.