HMAP Dataset 18: Colombian Caribbean Sea

The study area is the Columbian Caribbean Sea (approximately 13oN to 8oN; 71oW to 77oW), a diverse marine and coastal region that has a tropical climate. It contains upwelling systems to the north, and estuarine ecosystems to the south, with reef formations close to the coasts of the mainland and offshore islands. Although biodiversity is high in terms of species, stocks are small and sustain only one industrial fishery – shrimp. Artisanal fisheries, nevertheless, are widely practised and intensive in character. Within this area, the research is designed to elucidate the relationship between fishing effort and catches during the 1970-2001 period.