AID grant no. PCE-5053-G-00-3046-00 to the University of the Virgin Islands (UVI) for the program, entitled `Design and function of marine reserves in the Caribbean`

The study will include three components: designing marine protected areas, studying the management of such areas, and describing linkages among the marine resources of Caribbean nations. First, a desk study will be conducted determine the biological context for establishing marine reserves in the Caribbean, and a variety of models will be used to develop criteria for such reserves, with emphasis on their use for fisheries management. Efforts will focus on determining the extent to which reserves could contribute to restocking unprotected areas or fishing grounds, and estimating the optimal size of reserves. Second, a detailed case study will be conducted of marine reserve management on the island of St. Lucia in order to evaluate its adequacy in terms of the design criteria established under this study. Specifically, UVI will evaluate six of St. Lucia"s coral reef marine reserves and the extent to which they enhance fisheries while helping to preserve biodiversity. This activity will include censuses of both demersal and pelagic fish, including surgeonfishes, parrotfishes, groupers, grunts, and snappers, along with descriptions of the structural complexity of the benthic environment. Finally, the study will facilitate development of a regional conservation strategy by providing a quantitative description of biodiversity patterns, pelagic larval durations of different organisms (especially fish), and spawning seasonality of important species in the Caribbean region as a whole. An existing geographical information system on fish biodiversity in the Caribbean will be enhanced via this research. Research results will be disseminated via a technical report issued by UVI"s Eastern Caribbean Center and circulated through the membership network of the Consortium of Caribbean Universities for Natural Resources Management.