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Much of the funding for research into coastal ecosystems and the creation of proposals for legislation is channelled through international development agencies, such as the European Community and the United Nations. The following list is not exhaustive.
Coastal Zone Management Project: The principal scientific project, gathering data on the coastal zone, whose task is to develop monitoring and planning techniques with applied research. It also has an educational role.
Fisheries Department of the Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries: Responsible for management of fish stocks and protection of the marine environment and management of Marine Reserves. It also has an educational and recreational role.
Forest Department of the Ministry of Natural Resources: Responsible for the management of many designations of Belize's protected areas including nature reserves, national parks, natural monuments, wildlife sanctuaries, no-hunting areas and forest reserves. It also has an educational and recreational role. This is a huge responsibility and in 1990 the department created the Conservation Division, to direct the legal and social obligations of its role. Regarding the coastal zone, the Forest Department's main task is to enforce the Mangrove Regulations (which are currently being upgraded.) Overall, however, the department has tremendously important role, not always directly connected to forestry, such as management of the recently created Blue Hole Natural Monument on Lighthouse Reef, an area entirely underwater. Management of some wildlife sanctuaries, national parks and Half Moon Caye Natural Monument is delegated to the Belize Audubon Society.
Ministry of Tourism and the Environment: Responsible for the protection of archaeological, historical and cultural resources. The Department of Archaeology is within this ministry and many cayes and coastal areas have archaeological sites. All shipwrecks (after official designation) come under the remit of the department. The ministry also has a major advisory and enforcement role, overseeing the Environmental Protection Act, and in providing visitor information and control.
University College of Belize has a Marine Research Centre at the Belize City campus and a research station on Calabash Caye, on Turneffe Atoll; the Centre and Coral Cay Conservation have recently completed the first phase of a terrestrial and marine survey of the entire atoll. This will help in drafting a management plan.
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