In 2000, building on its pioneering efforts in establishing Land and Sea Parks, the Commonwealth of The Bahamas initiated one of the world's first networks of marine reserves. This designation provided an international team of researchers with an unprecedented opportunity to study the physical, biological, and socio-economic impacts of such a network, and to integrate all of these aspects into recommendations for future conservation strategies. The project, which is focusing on the Bahamas as a model system, will hopefully be extended to other marine areas in the Caribbean and across the globe.
