COMBINA
Coastal Ocean Marine Biosecurity International Network of the Americas
Our goal: Preventing or reducing the number of new marine bioinvasions and reducing bioinvasion impact at local, national, and continental scales.
Our approach: Working as an international network to advance and support coordinated marine biosecurity across the Americas.
COMBINA in action
Accelerating knowledge exchange and capacity building
We are creating opportunities for resource managers, scientists, policy-makers, and students through:
- Annual regional meetings
- Training workshops
- Student exchanges and internships
Mobilizing shared methods, tools, and resources across countries
We are compiling existing resources and working together to build new tools:
- Standardized protocols for invasion detection
- Non-native species databases and information resources
- Invasion alert system and risk prediction
- Community engagement and outreach
Providing a platform for coordinated research and action
We are building a network that aligns efforts across regional and national boundaries to:
- Advance scientific understanding of marine invasion dynamics across spatial and temporal scales
- Inform management and policy decisions for effective biosecurity
Our history
The concept for COMBINA grew from an initial workshop held in the Galápagos Islands in June 2019 with participants across 10 countries in the Americas, including scientists, policy-makers, and resource managers. The workshop underscored strong demand and need for coordination, shared resources, information exchange, and training across countries. The COMBINA network was announced at the 2023 Our Ocean Conference in Panamá and formally launched at a second workshop, held in Panamá in March 2024 with over 70 participants from 12 countries.