Soft launch pilot projects approved 

An initial set of pilot projects will be delivered under the SBE Technical Assistance Platform this financial year, up until the end of March 2026.

These initial projects were co-designed with SIDS partners and the UK partners through a soft launch of the Platform.

The projects are: 

  • Support For Enhancement of National Water Quality in the Wider Caribbean Region.  

UK partner: Cefas. 

SIDS partners: United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) Cartagena Convention Secretariat; National Environment and Planning Agency, Jamaica; Environment Protection Agency, Guyana. 

Countries: Jamaica & Guyana 

This project will facilitate enhanced management of marine water quality in the Caribbean as a fundamental enabler for sustainable blue economies, initially focusing on Guyana and Jamaica, through advice and capacity building to achieve enhanced monitoring, assessment and management of water quality.  

  • Enhancing the resilience of fisheries and offshore infrastructure to impacts from recurrent lahars offshore in St Vincent and the Grenadines 

UK Partner: NOC 

SIDS partner: The UWI Seismic Research Centre, Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry, Fisheries, Rural Transformation, Industry and Labour. 

Country: St Vincent & the Grenadines. 

This project will provide the first characterisation of the offshore behaviour and impacts of hazardous volcanic sediment flows known as lahars; providing a currently absent evidence base from which to develop appropriate mitigation and adaptation strategies and enhance the future resilience of key but vulnerable fishery sites, critical offshore internet cables and other marine infrastructure that underpin the blue economy.  

  • Charting Progress: Enhancing Guyana's Hydrographic Services for Sustainable Maritime Trade and Blue Economy Growth.  

UK partner: UKHO 

SIDS partner: Ministry of Public Works, Maritime Administration Department. 

Country: Guyana. 

This project will result in Guyana’s improved capacity and capability to deliver internationally mandated hydrographic services, which will enable growth in maritime trade, new developments in the blue economy and sustainable management and protection of the ocean and its resources. This will contribute to Guyana’s equitable Low Carbon Development Strategy (LCDS).   

  • Autonomous monitoring of biogeochemical Essential Ocean Variables for coastal ecosystem health assessments.  

UK partner: NOC 

SIDS partner: Fisheries Division of the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries, Blue and Green Economy, Government of the Commonwealth of Dominica. 

Country: Dominica. 

The Dominica Fisheries Division’s ocean observing platform will be upgraded, and a multi-agency team will be trained in its operation and maintenance, empowering the Commonwealth of Dominica to generate accurate, long-term data on Essential Ocean Variables (pH, subsurface temperature, conductivity, and dissolved oxygen) to drive evidence based coral conservation, marine protected area management, and sustainable fisheries strategies.  

  • Caribbean Fisheries Climate Resilience.  

UK partner: Cefas. 

SIDS partner: Caribbean Regional Fisheries Mechanism. 

Country: Dominica & Grenada. 

The project aims to increase the resilience to climate change in Caribbean fisheries and aquaculture by assessing the status of climate risk and adaptation needs in each eligible Caribbean country, and by providing recommendations to progress fisheries insurance to improve outcomes for fisherfolk and determine climate adaptation options in Dominica.