Considered paradise by the legions of tourists who visit each year, the Caribbean islands are developing states that struggle to maintain a delicate balance between economic expansion and environmental preservation. Hydrographic mapping, a critical element in achieving this equilibrium, has been a service provided inconsistently by the developed nations upon which many of the islands are still dependent. Affordable new geospatial technologies, however, offer Caribbean islands the opportunity to reduce their traditional reliance and assume greater control over their economies and natural resources.
The islands of the Caribbean, collectively known as the West Indies, were colonized for centuries by seafaring powers of the world, including the United Kingdom, Spain