Abstract

For the Caribbean people, this region is much more than a place for leisure and relaxation. It is literally the lifeblood of their economies, supporting the transportation of goods and people through shipping, providing food from fisheries, and sustaining the most important economic activity in the region: tourism. The Caribbean Sea covers an area of 2.75 million Km2. Nevertheless, this sea is important for 40 million people who inhabit its many small islands, talking about “Blue Economy”. Its activities generated revenues of US$407 billion that represents 14-27% of the global ocean economy, in an area that represents less than 1% of the world’s ocean area. The queen conch, Strombus (Lobatus) gigas is a marine gastropod mollusk. This is an endemic species from the Caribbean Sea, it is present in the water of 37 countries of the Caribbean Sea. It is a valuable marine invertebrate of significant commercial importance, which permit to use as indicator of climatic change. The aim of this work was to show results of a scientific collaboration in the Caribbean with various Universities, showing the field history of how we have organized various scientific collaborations using our friendly relations, starting from simple protocols and on a basis of trust, friendship and always sharing the results among all. Success stories of cooperation on issues of reproduction, abundance of larvae, contamination by micro plastics and educational programs are shown

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