Resilient Coasts – Caribbean Sea, funded by the Swedish Postcode Lottery Foundation, is a collaboration between SEI and governments and communities in eight countries: Dominican Republic, Cuba, Aruba, Colombia, Costa Rica, Trinidad and Tobago and Mexico. As a project endorsed as a Decade Action, it contributes to advancing nature-based solutions for coastal resilience in these countries.

“As a former Swedish Permanent Representative and member of the UNESCO Board, I know how important this official endorsement is for the researchers in giving opportunities for new partnerships and engagement. This is helpful in promoting science-based decision-making and policy development,” said Annika Markovic, Engagement and Impact Director at SEI.

Endorsed actions are selected for their potential to deliver transformative impact through collaboration, innovation and practical solutions over the course of the Ocean Decade. For SEI, this recognition reinforces the importance of linking science, policy and locally grounded solutions to address interconnected challenges of climate adaptation, ecosystem recovery and community resilience in coastal regions.

“Being part of the UN’s Ocean Decade places Resilient Coasts – Caribbean Sea in a global network of endorsed initiatives, opening new opportunities for collaboration and knowledge exchange, while elevating Caribbean experiences in international ocean and climate agendas,” said Karina Barquet, principal investigator for the project and SEI’s global representative for Ocean and Biodiversity research.

The project operates “living labs” in Montecristi, Dominican Republic, and Varadero, Colombia. In Montecristi, activities focus on mangrove and coastal lagoon restoration through hydrological recovery, biodiversity monitoring and community engagement. In Varadero, coral reef restoration combines ecological monitoring, restoration technologies and local stewardship by fishers and the Afro-Colombian community of Bocachica.

These living labs serve as demonstration sites where scientific evidence, local knowledge and practical solutions are developed together to support replication across the Caribbean. “You cannot do restoration activities without the people who live and know the territory. It is about sharing our history, our culture, and what we have built here,” said Johana Jara, a community leader in Bocachica, Colombia, which is participating in the project.

The project integrates ecosystem restoration with livelihood development and financial mechanisms, contributing to scalable and sustainable models for coastal nature-based solutions. It also includes CARICOAST: Caribbean Coastal Climate Resilience, a regional community of practice connecting institutions, practitioners, communities and partners working on coastal resilience, restoration and sustainable livelihoods across the Caribbean.

“The real impact is when knowledge stays in the community, when people who depend on these ecosystems are the ones who continue protecting and caring for them,” said Marta Castro, a community member from Bocachica.

In the coming months, the project will complete final ecological monitoring in both living labs and deliver regional trainings – both online and onsite – on financing and business models for coastal nature-based solutions. Researchers will then present results to funders, development banks and coastal agencies.

As an endorsed Decade Action under the Ocean Decade, these next steps will further strengthen pathways for scaling coastal ecosystem restoration and nature-based solutions across the Caribbean Sea.