EMODnet Seabed Habitats (ESH) is organising a three-day workshop in Anguilla (22–24 April 2026). It will facilitate engagement with regional stakeholders and actors in seabed mapping in the Caribbean region, building on existing partnerships. The workshop will provide an overview of ESH work, explore regional habitat mapping efforts, and create space for exchange to ensure EMODnet activities effectively address regional needs.
In 2025, as part of EMODnet Seabed Habitats (ESH) Phase 5, an updated version of the Seabed Habitats flagship product EUSeaMap was published. Since 2023, this has extended to the Caribbean Region.
Identification and collation of data for the Caribbean habitat map (CaribbeanSeaMap) has been challenging due to the data environment and limited opportunities for engagement with regional stakeholders. It is through engagement such as this that datasets can be identified and connectivity established.
ESH and subcontracted partner, SAERI, previously organised a 6-day external data submission and training course for marine habitat data in the Caribbean, which was held in September 2023. This training contributed to building capacity in spatial data management and engaging with stakeholders in the region.
For the next stage of its engagement activity, ESH is organising a three-day workshop in Anguilla (22–24 April 2026), which will facilitate engagement with regional stakeholders and actors in seabed mapping in the Caribbean region. Stakeholders, identified in a mapping exercise carried out by the consortium, have been informed and invited to participate. The workshop will provide an overview of ESH work, explore regional habitat mapping efforts, and create space for exchange to ensure EMODnet activities effectively address regional needs. The workshop will focus on three main areas, including EMODnet and its relevance, Seabed habitat mapping initiatives in the Caribbean and Exploring regional perspectives and priorities.
Outreach and engagement efforts will facilitate the development of data sharing approaches between EMODnet and non-EU regions, identification of data sharing networks to associate with the project going forward, and identification of new composite products for the region.
The workshop is expected to enhance data availability across the Caribbean region through cooperation with stakeholders engaged in habitat mapping. This will benefit EMODnet, as many EMODnet products (e.g. EUSeaMap) are interdependent on background layers from other thematic lots.
For further details, please contact Marcin Gorny (mgorny@saeri.ac.fk).