Ocean Coordination Mechanism (OCM)

Why in News?

Caribbean and North Brazil shelves (Large Marine Ecosystem) are recently brought under the initiative, Ocean Coordination Mechanism (OCM).

It is a collaborative framework to ensure a more inclusive and sustainable approach to ocean conservation in the wider carribean region.
Announced by - The Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO).
It was conceived under the 10-year CLME+ Strategic Action Program (CLME+ SAP), endorsed by countries in the Wider Caribbean in 2014.
Implemented by - IOC Sub commission for the Caribbean and Adjacent Regions (IOCARIBE), UNESCO’s agency.
Covered areas - Caribbean Sea and North Brazil shelves.
Purpose - Foster collaboration among countries, intergovernmental organizations (IGOs), and key stakeholders.
Promotes blue carbon projects, which use coastal ecosystems for carbon storage, benefiting both the environment and local communities.
Coordinate and streamline actions such as sustainable fisheries, ecosystem restoration, pollution control, blue carbon development, marine spatial planning, and establishing marine protected areas.
Funding - It has secured an initial $15 million investment from the Global Environment Facility through the UNDP/GEF PROCARIBE+ Project for the period 2024–2028.
The initiative has also benefited from a substantial co-financing total of $126.02 million facilitated by the GEF.

OCM

Carribean Sea	North Brazil Shelf
The Caribbean Sea is a body of water adjacent to the Atlantic Ocean, southeast of the Gulf of Mexico.	The "North Brazil Shelf" refers to a large marine ecosystem (LME) located off the northeastern coast of South America.
Bordered by - Venezuela, Colombia and Panama to the south, Central American countries (Costa Rica, Nicaragua, Guatemala, Honduras and Belize) on the west, Greater Antilles (Cuba, Jamaica, the Dominican Republic and Puerto Rico) on the north and Lesser Antilles on the east.	Extending from the Caribbean Sea boundary near Venezuela to the Parnaiba River estuary in Brazil.
The deepest site in this sea is the Cayman Trench between Cuba and Jamaica	It's characterized by a wide continental shelf significantly influenced by the Amazon River's discharge and the North Brazil Current.
The Wider Caribbean Region includes 35 states and territories that border 2 interconnected watersheds- the *Gulf of Mexico and the Caribbean Sea.*	It includes 6 countries, highly productive region with diverse marine life including numerous fish species and shrimp populations.

Reference

Down to Earth | Ocean Coordination Mechanism (OCM)