Caribbean environmental initiatives link science and tourism

Environmental research initiatives are focusing on the intersection of scientific discovery, community knowledge, and sustainable tourism in the Caribbean. At the Caribbean Tourism Organization’s State of the Tourism Industry Conference (SOTIC 2026) in Guyana, the Strong Coasts project presented ‘Caye in a Day’. This initiative, co-developed with the Placencia Tour Guide Association, involves tour guides and researchers documenting Belize’s 400+ cayes through surveys of coral reefs, mangroves, and marine species, while also collecting local oral histories.

In Belize, the University of Belize Environmental Research Institute (UB-ERI) has launched a project to strengthen seagrass stewardship. Funded by the Government of Canada, the initiative aims to improve environmental governance and conservation in the Turneffe Atoll Marine Reserve. The project will establish monitoring sites to collect data on seagrass condition and ‘blue carbon’ levels, while providing training and policy guidance to marine protected area practitioners to ensure scientific findings are translated into management action.