Marine resources (including fishing, shipping and marine-based tourism) are very important to the people of the Grenadines. A greater understanding of the abundance and distribution of key marine resources, the number of marine resource users and their patterns of space-use is critical to planning the sustainable use and conservation of these resources. This research will bring together a variety of social, economic and environmental information a variety of scientific and local knowledge into a single information system. Therefore areas important for livelihoods and conservation can be better identified and this unique information can be used to assist in planning more sustainable development within the Grenadines.

The Grenada Bank (including both of the countries of Grenada and St. Vincent and the Grenadines) has been chosen as a site for development of this integrated Marine Space-use Information System (MarSIS). This participatory marine resource information system will be created together with a range of Grenadine stakeholders including: a variety of people working in the sea, both governments’ marine agencies, community members, NGOs, a number of UWI students and the Sustainable Grenadines Project. This will be done in order to compile a range of marine-based knowledge together and provide people with a more complete information base for planning marine management. This information system can be used to highlight important areas such as: critical fishery habitats (essential fish habitats, spawning and nursery sites, endangered species); areas of highest biodiversity; important marine ecosystems (mangrove, seagrass & coral reefs); areas of high recreational value and cultural importance; areas important for fishing, marine-based tourism and shipping; safe anchorages; areas of land-based sources of pollution and identify areas of highest human threat and potential space-use conflicts.

Learn more at the research website and blog: www.grenadinesmarsis.com