Abstract

Seafood, habitats, energy sources, nutrient cycling and primary production, weather and climate regulation, coastal protection, water detoxification, sediment trapping, and cultural and economic services are just a few of the goods and services that large marine ecosystems located around the margins of the continents provide. Ten Large Marine Ecosystems (LMEs) the California Current, Gulf of California, Gulf of Mexico, Pacific Central American Coastal, Caribbean Sea, Humboldt Current, Patagonian Shelf, South Brazil Shelf, East Brazil Shelf, and North Brazil Shelf are found along the coastlines of Latin America. Each one has distinctive qualities that make it distinctive and important to local populations. The goal of ecosystem-based management is to take the health and significance of ecosystems into account in all processes that contribute to the recovery and sustainability of LME goods and services. This chapter explains the concept of ecosystem-based management, describes certain products and services offered by large marine ecosystems, and paints a basic picture of the large marine ecosystem approach to sustainable development of coastal ocean resources in Latin America.