This project create the Blue Investment Readiness Index (BIRI) — the first tool designed specifically to measure how prepared island nations are to attract investment in sustainable ocean industries.

The project will work across seven pilot countries: Mauritius, Cabo Verde, Maldives, Antigua and Barbuda, Barbados, Marshall Islands, and Fiji. By gathering data and working directly with governments, businesses, innovators, and local communities, the project will identify the strengths, barriers, and opportunities shaping each country’s blue economy.

A major focus of the project is supporting island-based innovators and connecting them through the Big Ocean States Innovators Gateway (BIG), helping build stronger regional and global networks for collaboration and investment.

The research will produce practical tools for governments and investors, including country profiles, finance gap analyses, policy recommendations, and an Investor Toolkit to help reduce risks and unlock funding for sustainable ocean projects.

Ultimately, BIRI will provide island nations with a stronger voice in the global blue economy, helping position SIDS as leaders in ocean innovation while supporting resilient economies, healthy marine ecosystems, and sustainable livelihoods for future generations.

LuMCoF will improve how coastal flood risks are understood, predicted, and managed across selected Caribbean locations. By combining existing environmental data with advanced modelling and data analysis techniques, the research will provide clearer insight into why flooding happens, where the greatest risks exist, and how those risks may change in the future.

The project will collate information on storms, tides, waves, rainfall, river flows, and coastal ecosystems such as mangroves and coral reefs and then identify the main factors that contribute to flooding and simulate major flood events under different future climate and development scenarios.

A key focus of the project is understanding the role that natural coastal ecosystems play in reducing flood impacts. Healthy ecosystems can act as natural barriers, helping to absorb wave energy and limit flooding. By testing different future ecosystem conditions, the project will explore how nature-based solutions can support more resilient coastal development.

The research will also develop tools to estimate the likelihood of future flooding under a range of environmental and climate conditions. These findings will help governments, planners, and local communities make better-informed decisions about coastal development, disaster preparedness, and climate adaptation.

Ultimately, the project seeks to support safer, more sustainable, and more resilient coastal communities across the Caribbean.

This project proposes using leatherback turtles as sentinels of ocean health. As an endangered species with a critical ecological role and direct interaction with marine ecosystems, leatherbacks can serve as early warning indicators of environmental decline. By studying their responses to changing ocean conditions, this research will generate valuable insights to guide conservation and support global efforts to restore and sustain healthy oceans.

Building on previous surveys in Grenada’s Grand Anse Bay, this project will assess D. antillarum densities, size structure, and benthic cover at Grand Anse and Coral Bank over a six-month monitoring period, including measurements of growth rates and grazing efficiency. It will also evaluate long-term population trends in relation to mass mortality events and hurricane impacts, including the effects of Hurricane Beryl. The findings will provide critical data for monitoring reef health, understanding resilience, and informing conservation strategies in the face of ongoing climate change and environmental disturbances.

Beyond advancing scientific knowledge, this research will strengthen regional capacity for marine conservation by establishing standardized national monitoring systems, developing transferable protocols for other Caribbean SIDS, and ensuring open access to data on pollutant exposure and food web dynamics. In doing so, it will contribute to global initiatives on Oceans and Climate Action, particularly the standardization of marine data collection and the development of survey protocols that improve international collaboration. Ultimately, this project positions sea turtles as sentinels of environmental change, providing insights crucial for protecting marine ecosystems in the Global South.

The study aims to investigate the wave attenuation capacity of mangroves in Trinidad and Tobago through both physical and numerical modelling. By combining experimental data from wave flume tests with advanced Computational Fluid Dynamics modelling, the project will provide insight into how different mangrove configurations reduce wave energy. This research will generate practical knowledge for coastal managers on the resilience and protective capacities of native mangrove species, while also contributing to global efforts under frameworks such as UN SDG 14 and the UN Decade of Ocean Science. Ultimately, it seeks to strengthen national and international strategies for building sustainable and climate-resilient coastal systems.

This study aims to explore how São Tomé and Príncipe can build an inclusive and sustainable blue economy by analyzing existing policies, governance structures, and practices. It will examine the challenges and opportunities for sustainable development, assess the impacts of economic activities like fishing and tourism on marine ecosystems, and consider how local communities can be more effectively engaged in decision-making. The project also situates São Tomé’s efforts within the wider Gulf of Guinea and global maritime context, with the goal of identifying strategies that support resilience, foster cooperation, and build the intellectual and operational capacity needed for long-term sustainability.

Despite its fast spread, little is known about its ecological impact in Grenada. This project aims to fill that gap through field surveys and ecological assessments that will measure how H. stipulacea affects native seagrass species and associated marine life.

The ultimate goal is to develop management strategies to curb its spread, protect biodiversity, and support the conservation and restoration of native seagrass habitats in Grenada’s coastal waters.

This project focuses on the Turneffe Atoll Marine Reserve (TAMR), aiming to assess how seaweed farms affect seagrass. Using a combination of water quality sampling (measuring chlorophyll, turbidity, and nutrients) and remote sensing (drone and satellite imagery), the team will create detailed habitat maps and track changes over time. Seaweed rafts will also be tested in controlled areas to study short- to medium-term impacts.

The outcome will provide science-based recommendations to help local stakeholders monitor and manage seaweed farming sustainably, protecting both the industry and Belize’s rich seagrass ecosystems.

By combining lab experiments, computer modelling, and local community input, the project will study reefs’ ability to reduce wave energy and prevent erosion in both Ireland and the Caribbean. The outcome will give decision-makers and coastal managers practical tools to design and test reef-based protection strategies.

Aligned with the EU Mission to Restore our Ocean and Waters by 2030, Reefs4Protect seeks to strengthen coastal resilience, safeguard marine ecosystems, and support sustainable coastal management for island nations worldwide.