Multiple marine ecological disturbance assessments for latin american and caribbean large marine ecosystems

Comparative assessment of pollution and ecosystem health among the Large Marine Ecosystems (LMEs) of Latin America and the Caribbean requires tracking of shifting food- chain associations, loss of habitat, toxic and anoxic impacts to species, diseases, harmful algal blooms and vulnerability to climate extremes, invasive species, and overfishing. Meta-data search and extraction techniques help researchers consolidate disturbance observations into one of eight multiple marine disturbance (MMED) categories important for the creation of place specific disturbance regimes. By measuring the changing baseline condition of impact-sensitive indicator species involved in these MMED events, resource managers can better compare, mitigate, and track changes in marine ecosystem health.