Abstract

The coastal waters around St. Kitts and Nevis (SKN) are used for a wide range of activities: transportation, cruise ships tourism, water sports and commercial fisheries, all supporting local economy. Over the past decade, the near-shore reef has seen a drastic loss of coral coverage and fish numbers together with a spiking macroalgal growth (1). The degraded reef has devastating effects on the biodiversity, therefore posing a serious threat to the livelihoods of fishing communities and different economic sectors. Importantly, such sectors and the local community have all expressed the need for marine protected areas.