AUTHOR=Cortés Jorge , Oxenford Hazel A. , van Tussenbroek Brigitta I. , Jordán-Dahlgren Eric , Cróquer Aldo , Bastidas Carolina , Ogden John C. TITLE=The CARICOMP Network of Caribbean Marine Laboratories (1985–2007): History, Key Findings, and Lessons Learned JOURNAL=Frontiers in Marine Science VOLUME=5 YEAR=2019 URL=https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/marine-science/articles/10.3389/fmars.2018.00519 DOI=10.3389/fmars.2018.00519 ISSN=2296-7745 ABSTRACT=
Caribbean Coastal Marine Productivity (CARICOMP) was a basin-wide cooperative, international network of marine laboratories established in 1985. Recognizing major trends of change in coastal ecosystems and the importance of the linkages among them, our goal was to monitor synoptically with standardized methods the physical environment and to document trends in measures of the structure and functioning of coral reefs, seagrasses and mangroves. Between 1985 and 1993, the CARICOMP Steering Committee established a data management center and wrote a methods manual. Marine laboratories joined the program by appointing a Site Director and signing an agreement specifying the cost sharing and responsibilities of the laboratory. With significant outside funding in 1992, the program became fully functional and ultimately more than 30 institutions in 21 Caribbean countries participated. Monitoring lasted from 1992 to 2007, spanning many technological advances including the internet, automated