Abstract

The Pearl Cays are located offshore of the central Caribbean coast of Nicaragua and encompass an area of approxi-mately 700 km2. The marine and coastal ecosystem is comprised of coral reefs, seagrasses, mangroves, islands, rivers, and creeks that provide habitat for fish, shellfish and endangered species of sea turtles. The upland watershed is inhabited by indigenous coastal communities who depend upon the ecosystem services generated by these habitats. In 2010, the region was declared a wildlife refuge, however, limited support has been directed to develop a management plan to protect and guide the sustainable use of the natural resources. A lack of a comprehensive synthesis of the Pearl Cays ecosystem consist-ing of baseline information about the habitats and inhabitants is needed to move forward. A synthesis that emphasizes par-ticipation from the communities living in this region is recognized as a first step in developing a plan that provides protec-tion and wise use of resources, or ecosystem-based management. The Wildlife Conservation Society’s (WCS) Nicaragua Marine Program secured funding to facilitate ecosystem-based management of the refuge using an integrated ecosystem assessment approach. WCS has partnered with the Bluefields Indian and Caribbean University (BICU) to facilitate the man-agement planning process with governmental and non-governmental entities. The goal of the project is to develop a com-munity-driven management plan to guide conservation and stewardship of shared resources, using local knowledge to build a comprehensive understanding of the Pearl Cays Wildlife Refuge system.

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