Throughout the Caribbean, conservation is ecologically, politically, and sociallychallenging due to a number of factors including globalization, climate change, loss ofbiodiversity, and the spread of invasive species. Relationships between organizations andinstitutions that govern the region’s natural and cultural resources are key to conservationsuccess as partners work to implement plans to meet science, capacity, and informationneeds. However, the complex challenges involved in conservation work and tenuous relationshipsamong organizations can result in a “knowing–doing gap”. Empirical evidencefrom 130 Caribbean conservation organizations indicates that barriers to bridging this gapare lack of information and data sharing, political constraints, competition, limited resourcesand technical capacity, and ineffective communications. We suggest that a knowing–doinggap exists in the region and that “boundary organizations” are a solution to overcomingthe barriers some conservation entities face. We explore how boundary organizations canuse the social sciences and practitioner expertise to successfully become knowledge brokers,and we offer a set of recommendations for implementing our ideas. We conclude bypostulating that bridging the knowing–doing gap in resources management could lead to asustainable future for the Caribbean region.
