Abstract

The Seaflower Scientific Expedition, is the most ambitious program of the Colombian Government to increase re-search and improve the concept of ecosystem integrity in the largest marine Biosphere Reserve in the Colombian Caribbe-an, Seaflower. These expeditions, planned annually until 2023, are product of multiple stakeholder’s collaborative work to generate systematic investigation in the 180000 km2 of the San Andrés, Providencia and Santa Catalina Department Archi-pelago. Using the best technology available in the country and involving scientist from different marine science branches, the Seaflower Scientific Expedition has been carried out since 2014, in which more than 20 scientists are working on projects related with fish ecology, diversity and management. Additionally, other fishing resources such as the queen conch (Lobatus gigas) and the Caribbean spiny lobster (Panulirus argus), characterized for being within the most important re-sources in the Archipelago, have been monitored in the Island Cays of Roncador, Quitasueño, Serrana, Serranilla, Provi-dencia and San Andres. All these efforts focused on contribute with the management and sustainable development that pro-motes the UNESCO “Man and Biosphere” program, which recognized Seaflower as a Biosphere Reserve in 2000. The Sea-flower Expeditions, are the best example of science cooperation, because it congregates different kind of institutions and organizations with one purpose: understand the Colombian sea and its insular systems with a holistic view, for its appropri-ate management to meet successfully the World Sustainable Development Goals.

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