Exploring scale in ocean and coastal governance in the wider Caribbean

Abstract

An early childhood attraction to the sea led to a career in marine ecology, fisheries and ocean and coastal governance. This paper tracks the development of my career from tertiary education, through a variety of jobs and positions with government, private sector, international and academic organizations. These positions took me from national to regional levels of governance, then down to local levels and ultimately back up to regional and global levels. At each stage new concepts join those already there to build what is ultimately a multilevel perspective on ocean and coastal governance. This perspective is built around ideas of institutional architecture and process, complemented by a learning-by-application approach. Its growth and application in the Wider Caribbean has been a fascinating and rewarding journey, with the biggest reward being the many, many amazingly smart and dedicated people encountered at every stage.