Grenadines MarSIS
Marine Resource and Space-use Information System
Marine Resource and Space-use Information System
Grenadines Marine Resource & Space-use Information System (MarSIS)
Marine resources (including fishing, shipping 
and
marine-based tourism) are very important to the people of the Grenadine Islands. 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 brings together a variety of social, economic and environmental information drawn from both scientific and local knowledge-bases into a single information system. Therefore areas important for livelihoods and conservation can be better identified and this unique information used to assist in planning more sustainable development within the Grenadine island chain.
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 an integrated Marine Space-use Information System (MarSIS). This participatory marine resource information system has been created together with a wide range of Grenadine stakeholders including: a variety of people who work in the sea (including fishers, diveshops, daytours, watertaxis, yachting charter companies and ferries), a variety of marine management agencies (including the Fisheries, Planning, Tourism, Environment, Port Authority, Coast Guard and Forestry Departments) of both countries, community members, NGOs, a number of UWI Graduate students and the Sustainable Grenadines Project.
This has been done in order to integrate a wide range of marine-based knowledge and provide people with a more complete information base for marine management. This information system can be used to highlight important areas such as: critical fishery habitats (essential fish habitats, nursery areas, endangered species); areas of highest biodiversity; important marine ecosystems (mangrove, seagrass & coral reefs); areas of high recreational and cultural importance; areas important for fishing, marine-based tourism and shipping; safe anchorages; areas of land-based sources of pollution as well as identify areas of highest human threat and potential space-use conflicts.
and marine-based tourism) are very important to the people of the Grenadine Islands. 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 brings together a variety of social, economic and environmental information drawn from both scientific and local knowledge-bases into a single information system. Therefore areas important for livelihoods and conservation can be better identified and this unique information used to assist in planning more sustainable development within the Grenadine island chain.
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 an integrated Marine Space-use Information System (MarSIS). This participatory marine resource information system has been created together with a wide range of Grenadine stakeholders including: a variety of people who work in the sea (including fishers, diveshops, daytours, watertaxis, yachting charter companies and ferries), a variety of marine management agencies (including the Fisheries, Planning, Tourism, Environment, Port Authority, Coast Guard and Forestry Departments) of both countries, community members, NGOs, a number of UWI Graduate students and the Sustainable Grenadines Project.
This has been done in order to integrate a wide range of marine-based knowledge and provide people with a more complete information base for marine management. This information system can be used to highlight important areas such as: critical fishery habitats (essential fish habitats, nursery areas, endangered species); areas of highest biodiversity; important marine ecosystems (mangrove, seagrass & coral reefs); areas of high recreational and cultural importance; areas important for fishing, marine-based tourism and shipping; safe anchorages; areas of land-based sources of pollution as well as identify areas of highest human threat and potential space-use conflicts.
A project of the Centre for Resource Management and Environmental Studies (CERMES) - University of the West Indies
&
The Sustainable Grenadines Project - Union Island
(784) 454-0606 cell
(784) 485-8779 or (246) 417-4828 office
(246)424-4204 fax
info@grenadinesmarsis.com
