Towards the 2010 regional synthesis of the
CoML Caribbean NRIC contribution
Proposal to the Consortium for Ocean Leadership to support the
Synthesis activities of the Caribbean Regional Implementation
Committee
(NRIC-Caribbean)
June 2008
Patricia Miloslavich
Chair of the Caribbean NRIC
Universidad Simón Bolívar
Instituto de Tecnología y Ciencias Marinas
INTECMAR
Caracas, Venezuela
Phone/Fax: 58-212-9063416
58-212-9063052
E-mail: pmilos@usb.ve
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
Broad overarching themes/goals of Caribbean-NRIC
synthesis
The goal of this proposal is to obtain funds to support the Caribbean
regional synthesis article to be developed within the framework of the
overall NRIC product: “Marine Biodiversity and Biogeography –
Regional Comparisons of Global Issues”, to be edited by Charles
Griffiths and Michele DuRand and published as a special scientific
journal issue.
The proposed publication will be composed of several articles:

Introductory article: previous information on biodiversity and
biogeography at each of the regions herein represented and how
marine biodiversity studies were moved forward by the Census
of Marine Life program (through national and regional
committees).

Regional articles: Caribbean, South America, Canada, United
States, Sub-Saharan Africa, Indonesia, Australia, New Zealand,
China, Japan, Korea, Indian Ocean, North Sea and European
Atlantic, Mediterranean Sea, Balthic Sea, Persian Gulf, and
Antarctic Ocean.

Integrative / synthesis article: comparative patterns (coverage,
efforts), hotspots, conservation priorities, constraints to the
analysis: sampling efforts, taxonomic expertise, established
collections.
In the particular case of the Caribbean, the article will contain for a
few countries, most of the information established in the article
template of the region, mainly from the Southern Caribbean (e.g.
Colombia, Venezuela, Trinidad & Tobago) as well as some case
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examples from Cuba, Mexico, and Costa Rica. The main taxonomic
groups in which the article will focus are cnidarians, mollusks, fishes
and small crustaceans (peracarids). The main ecosystems to be
discussed will be coral reefs, seagrass beds, rocky shores, mangrove
forests, and the deep sea communities of the Gulf of Mexico.

Management structure for your NRIC synthesis process
General Coordinator: Patricia Miloslavich
Leading author: Juan Manuel Díaz (Humboldt Institute, Colombia), will
also compile information on mollusks
Co-authors:
Manuel Ortiz (Universidad de La Habana, Cuba) and Alberto Martín
(Universidad Simón Bolívar): peracarid crustaceans.
Juan Cruz (Universidad Simón Bolívar): rocky shore and seagrass
communities
Ernesto Weil (University of Puerto Rico), Jorge Cortés (Universidad de
Costa Rica), and Carolina Bastidas (Universidad Simón Bolívar): corals
Ross Robertson (STRI, Panama): fishes
Elba Escobar-Briones (Universidad Autónoma de Mexico): deep sea
communities (Gulf of Mexico)
We are contacting experts in sponges, macroalgae, echinoderms, and
polychaetes to fill up the information in these groups and to identify
were the biogeographic gaps are.

Outline of the Caribbean paper for the NRIC synthesis
journal issue
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In summary, each of the volume articles will contain the following
information:

Introduction: region description and boundaries, history of
research, status of knowledge (based on KUU workshop
products)

Available samples / OBIS as an analytical tool

National / regional richness by taxonomic group, realm, depth:
use all information available either produced or not by the
Census. Use the best examples available (either by a given
country or taxonomic group)

Analysis and discussion of the known / unknown / unknowable
for future research, discovery and conservation
The Caribbean NRIC will use the KUU report of 2005 (Caribbean Marine
Biodiversity: The Known and the Unknown, 2005) as the departing
point for the development of the regional article. Other sources of data
for this article will be provided by the ongoing CoML projects in the
Caribbean (especially Nagisa, OBIS, COMARGE-CHESS and HMAP). We
will also use all information available (not just Census related) among
which we can make special reference to the Ecoregional plans made by
The Nature Conservancy (based on objects of conservation), as well as
the coral database from some of the CARICOMP sites (Caribbean
Coastal Marine Productivity) and particular contributions from the
AMLC members (Association of Marine Laboratories of the Caribbean).

Other synthesis outputs (Will your NRIC produce any other
synthesis related products, in addition to the paper for the
NRIC journal issue?)
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This article will be the major Caribbean-NRIC synthesis product. The
Caribbean NRIC will be contributing information for the synthesis
products of the projects in which it is currently participating: Nagisa,
OBIS, COMARGE-CHESS, ICOMM and HMAP. Particularly within Nagisa,
we will be producing several scientific publications (science audience)
as well as we are planning to produce a short film on how the
nearshore works and an exhibition at the Museo de Ciencias Naturales,
USB (for public audience)

Visualization outputs / needs of the Caribbean NRIC
Production of maps (distribution of species / genus / families) by
taxonomic group.
Based in the information provided, mapping of the biodiversity
hotspots
Mapping of “phylogenetic trees” using geographic locations to show
similarities between and among different islands or locations in the
region in relation to biodiversity

Timelines/milestones for your deliverables
June-July 2008: extend invitation to Caribbean scientific community to
participate in the effort (co-authorship): taxonomic experts
June-December 2008 – national / regional review of information
July, 2008: Caribbean “coral people” will meet at the International
Coral Reef Meeting to be held in Florida.
November 2008: NRIC discussions at the Marine Biodiversity Meeting,
Valencia, Spain. Update of status.
February 2009 – writing workshop at Long Island meeting
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June 2009 –draft papers due to editor
July – Sept. 2009 – First edit, peer review, standardization of mapping
and graphics
Oct. – Dec. 2009 – Revision of drafts by editor
FINAL DEADLINE for journal submission: December 31, 2009
Publication: Spring 2010
October 1-4, 2010 – Census “Grand Finale” events (London)

Budget for accomplishing NRIC synthesis goals/outputs
The Caribbean NRIC currently does not have any funds for any source.
The second (and last) allotment of Sloan funds were spent in 2005-07,
and reported in December 2007 to the foundation.
TENTATIVE BUDGET (2008-2010)
Expenses
Amount
requested to
CORE (US$)
Honorarium for main authors
4,000
Honorarium for Assistants in the different
9,000
countries involved (drawings, production of
maps, data “digging” and input into database)
Traveling expenses for the leader writer to
2,000
attend the Queen Elizabeth, California,
“synthesis workshop”
Traveling expenses for NRIC member to
6,000
attend SSC-NRIC meetings: Valencia (2008),
Long Beach (2009) and London “celebration”
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(2010)
Traveling expenses for assistants: trips within
4,000
countries to obtain data/information in
libraries and museum collections
Total
25,000
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