The Caribbean Seascape

• Author: Carl Dundas
• Pages: 171-186

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The Caribbean Seascape

THE CARIBBEAN SEASCAPE

Carl Dundas

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The Caribbean seascape embraces a number of sensitive and vulnerable

ecosystems in and around the Caribbean Sea. These ecosystems are linked to

the land through the coastlines and currents of the sea. Three major ecosystems

stand out in this seascape namely, coral reefs, mangrove forests and seagrass

meadows. Each of these principal ecosystems has important economic

potential for the Caribbean region as a whole. Each serves as significant

habitat and nursery for many species of fish and other creatures that thrive in

ecosystems of the seascape. These delicate ecosystems of the seascape of the

Caribbean region face serious threats from a variety of human activities as

well as from climate change. There is urgent need for the States and dependent

territories of the region to embrace and implement conservation measures

with respect to the fauna and flora, and to foster international cooperation

with a view to furthering research into the health of ecosystems of the

Caribbean seascape and other similar seascapes globally.

Introduction

The term ‘Caribbean seascape’ may be seen as analogous to the landscape

ecology terminology. It is a reference to the ecological and biogeochemical

relationship between the various ecosystems to be found in the Caribbean

Sea area. The content of any investigation into the Caribbean seascape would

have regard to the linked (connectivity) relationship between the ecosystems

in the near-shore areas of the Caribbean Sea. In these areas, reefs, coral reefs

in particular, mangrove forests, sea grass meadows, ocean waves, sea currents,

fish behaviour and human activities have a profound impact on the seascape

172 CARICOM Options: Towards Full Integration Into the World Economy

of the Caribbean region. Before launching out on a detailed investigation of

the nature, extent, health and survival of the Caribbean seascape, a brief

survey of the geography, geology and geomorphology of the area will be

sketched in order to put the seascape of the Caribbean Sea in perspective.

The Caribbean Sea is a large semi-enclosed body of water, whose extent

is not agreed by commentators.1 In the geopolitical context, there are 22

sovereign independent States2 and several dependent territories3 in the

Caribbean region. There have been some 25 maritime boundary delimitation

agreements carried out in this region. There are many dependent territories

in the Caribbean Sea falling under the jurisdiction of the great maritime

metropolitan powers of the United Kingdom, United States of America, the

Republic of France and the Kingdom of the Netherlands. These powers are

experienced in maritime boundary making, they have expertise, up to date

technology in boundary making, financial resources, which enable them to

offer flexibility and attractive trade-offs, such as grants and loans, unrelated

to delimitation considerations. Three relevant geographic factors are the

ring of islands in the eastern Caribbean Sea forming a convex shaped feature

in that area, the numerous islands, rocks and cays in the eastern and other

parts of the Caribbean Sea, and the presence of several States, which claim

archipelagic status.4

United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS), which

was signed in Jamaica in 1982 and entered into force in 1994, has had

significant impact on the extension of maritime jurisdiction in the region.

The UNCLOS recognised a 12-nautical mile limit for the territorial sea,

archipelagic waters zone, where the requirements set out in the Convention

are met, the 200-nautical mile exclusive economic zone (EEZ) limit and an

extended continental shelf beyond 200-nautical miles up to 350-nautical miles

from the baselines of the coastal States concerned. The new or extended

zones greatly extended the potential maritime jurisdiction of coastal States

and ushered in an era of growth in the conclusion of delimitation treaties

unprecedented in maritime boundary making. The majority of the world’s

potential maritime boundaries are yet to be settled.

The Caribbean seascape is characterized by the dominance of the waters

of this large Caribbean Sea over the land area surrounding it and the numerous

islands, rocks and cays interspersed throughout the region. This paper seeks

to discuss the various dimensions of the Caribbean seascape and the principal

factors that impact upon the seascape in the area. The dimensions to be

examined include geographic, geological and geomorphologic, geopolitical,

economic and legal.