The geographic scope of the full-sized GEF-funded CLME Project corresponds to 2 of the World's 64 Large Marine Ecosystems (LMEs): 

The "Caribbean" LME -- The "North Brazil Shelf" LME

The countries with a direct participation in the CLME Project are therefore the 23 GEF-eligible countries from the region (see the table and map below), together with the 2 "associated countries" Cuba* and Venezuela* (both of which are also GEF-eligible). The USA** further also directly contributes to the project, through in-kind cofinancing from NOAA.

The project area also comprises of dependent territories from France, the Netherlands, the United Kingdom and the United States of America, which are not direct beneficiaries from the GEF-grant, but whose collaboration with the CLME Project is encouraged.

Antigua & Barbuda - Bahamas - Barbados - Belize - Brazil - Colombia - Costa Rica - Cuba* - Dominica - Dominican Republic - Grenada - Guatemala - Guyana - Haiti - Honduras - Jamaica - Mexico - Nicaragua - Panama - Saint Kitts & Nevis Saint Lucia - Saint Vicent & the Grenadines - Suriname - Trinidad & Tobago - Venezuela* - USA**

What came before: the PDF-B Phase of the CLME Project 

Preliminary analyses of transboundary problems in the CLME were already conducted prior to the start of the GEF-funded "Full-Size" CLME Project (2009-2013), under the so-called GEF PDF Preparaty Block B Grant (2006-2008).

For this purpose the CLME Region was subdivided in 3 sub-regions, and for each one of these regions a preliminary Transboundary Diagnostic Analysis was completed. These 3 sub-regions were:

1. Insular Caribbean

2. Central & NW South America

3. Guianas/Brazil (NE South America)