Caribbean Review: Grenada’s Blue Economy Action Lab Expresses The Nations Pursuit For Sustainability To Utilize Marine Value

Karl Callwood

Grenada launched the Caribbean's first Blue Economy Action Lab to prioritize marine sustainability late last year. Goals were divided into three initiative themes: waste-to-value solutions like recycling marine debris, circular blue tourism that questions whether tourism can regenerate rather than deplete local ecosystems, and coastal resilience to combat climate erosion and other depleting factors.

Blue economy is a process of sustainably using ocean resources to fuel economic growth, improve livelihoods, and generate jobs while preserving marine ecosystem health. In 2025, Grenadian entrepreneurs, policymakers, and investors met at Grenada’s first Blue Economy Action Lab. The lab, which marks a major milestone for sustainable development in the nation, provided an opportunity for blue economy ideas to be put into action. The action lab was made necessary due to inaction regarding marine sustainability.

“We’ve had enough conversations about potential,” said Island Innovators CEO and Co-founder Fayeann Lawrence when asked about the lab. “The Action Lab is about execution — about proving that Caribbean innovators can take ownership of our challenges and create our own solutions.”

The event was productive; stakeholders, marine entrepreneurs, tourism operators, data scientists, and policy leaders discussed and planned future projects focusing on waste-to-value solutions, circular blue tourism, and coastal resilience. Participants formed small cross-sector circles of 90-day working groups committed to advancing High Impact Action Declarations (HIAD) under each of the three initiative themes. The outcomes of these labs are expected to have results early this year.

“By February, we’ll see the first tangible results of these pilots — not reports, but prototypes and partnerships ready for scale,” said Lawrence. “This is how we prove that small islands can lead to big progress.”

Some plans for future action labs include marine biotechnology, seaweed innovation, and coastal data mapping. Marine biotechnology is a process of using marine organisms for new biology and technology, like medicines, sustainable aquaculture, biofuels, bioremediation, and biomaterials. Using marine organisms and compounds exposes a whole new realm of possible pharmaceuticals, medicine, fuels, and understanding of marine systems. Seaweed innovation offers a sustainable alternative to conventional plastics and farm feed. Seaweed could be used to develop bioplastics for films, coatings, and packages, degrading quickly even in marine environments. Seaweed is also being seen as a possible new additive to protein alternatives other than meat products. Lastly, coastal data mapping uses satellite imagery, sonar, and GPS to create detailed maps for safe navigation, environmental management, hazard assessment, such as sea-level rise and erosion, and sustainable development. 

Earlier last year, as Grenada announced plans to hold the blue economy action lab and marine health in the Caribbean Sea continued to deteriorate, the importance of the blue economy was highlighted by Grenada and other Eastern Caribbean nations to utilize abundant marine resources while also prioritizing environmental conservation and economic fragility. Marine ecosystems face escalating threats globally, and blue economic initiatives could be crucial in fighting for marine health. 

The initiative also raises awareness of environmental degradation and climate change, which could influence local government and communities to take further action.

Grenada is not the only nation in the Caribbean that is pursuing blue economic ventures. Other countries include the Bahamas, Barbados, Belize, Guyana, Jamaica, Trinidad and Tobago, Suriname, St. Lucia, and the Dominican Republic. Developments in these nations vary from national climate plans, cosmetic development, sustainable tourism focuses, deep-sea mineral exploration, and other uses of marine ecosystems. Experts in the Dominican Republic have estimated that the nation's vast marine resources, including reefs, mangroves, and seagrass, are valued at approximately $1.8 billion annually through the tourism and fishing industries. This recognition has put a new value on protecting the nation's coastlines.

Despite the new push in the Caribbean for ocean protection to utilize marine value, ocean health is still on the decline. Critics claim that sustainability isn’t enough and that nations should be pursuing active regeneration efforts for marine ecosystems. The focus on purely economic reasons to value the ocean could have negative outcomes, leading to other issues for marine wildlife, such as overuse of resources, pollution, and over-privatization of coastlines. Successful and healing blue economic initiatives would require strong policies, collaboration with environmental experts, and inclusive leadership that listens to local communities that rely on marine ecosystems for survival and livelihood.  

The Blue Economy Action Lab’s organizers mentioned that results for Grenada wouldn’t be seen until February 2026 at the earliest. Right now, there have been planned projects into a Biosphere Resources Research Facility, a Marine Services training school, exploration into wave and tidal energy, and sustainable fisheries. Within the year, the outcome of this lab will be able to be measured, either as a conference of economists and entrepreneurs or as a leading initiative and collaboration to help heal and protect Grenada’s marine territory.