The Caribbean Regional Conference of Psychology was held in Nassau, The Bahamas, from 15 to 18 November 2011, under the auspices of the International Association of Applied Psychology (IAAP), the International Union of Psychological Science (IUPsyS), and the International Association for Cross-Cultural Psychology (IACCP). The conference was hosted by the Bahamas Psychological Association, and organized by a committee chaired by Dr Ava Thompson, College of the Bahamas. The CRCP2011 attracted over 400 participants from 37 countries, including 20 nations/territories in the Caribbean. A broad scientific program, organized around six conference themes, addressed strengths and challenges to psychology in the region; the current state of psychological research, assessment, and intervention; historical, cultural, and language influences; and links between Caribbean and global models. Conference outcomes included planning for a series of publications to expand on conference themes and presentations, as well as establishment of a steering group to launch a regional organization to support the science and practice of psychology in the Caribbean.

Psychologists in the Caribbean face significant challenges. Needs include high quality psychological services, educating more psychologists and expanding the profession to meet mental health difficulties within Caribbean Communities. Other subspecialties such as social psychology and organizational psychology are needed to promote change within the society still bearing the impact of slavery and colonialization. The challenges include “Brain drain” with talented youth migrating for educational and professional opportunities and with a few exceptions, a lack of local universities offering advanced degrees in psychology the field. Challenges also arise from a lack of self-definition of psychology in the Caribbean. These factors, academic, professional and institutional along with recommendations for action will be offered. The action plan of the Caribbean Regional Conference of Psychology, CRCP 2011 is incorporated. Psicologos en el Caribe enfrentan desafios importantes. Necesita incluir servicios psicologicos de alta calidad, educar a mas psicologos y expandir la profesion para resolver dificultades de salud mental en las comunidades del Caribe. Otras subespecialidades como la psicologia social y Psicologia Organizacional son necesarios para promover el cambio dentro de la sociedad sigue teniendo el impacto de la esclavitud y la colonizacion. Los desafios incluyen «Brain drain» con jovenes talentosos migrar para oportunidades educativas y profesionales y con unas pocas excepciones, la falta de universidades locales ofrecen titulos avanzados en el campo de Psicologia. Tambien surgen desafios de una falta de autodefinicion de Psicologia en el Caribe. Se ofreceran estos factores, academicos, profesionales e institucionales junto con recomendaciones para la accion. Se incorpora el plan de accion de la Conferencia Regional Caribe de Psicologia, CRCP 2011.

Hyperspectral data acquired by Geophysical Environmental Research (GER) Imaging Spectrometer were used for remote bathymetry in the Hudson/ Raritan estuarine waters. Characteristics of the GER image verified by in situ sea truth data indicated that water quality parameters, (i.e., organic/inorganic particulate), were largely uniform during the time of data acquisition. This condition coupled with the uniformity of bottom type provided an opportunity for quantitative bathymetric mapping. Bathymetric data were obtained from a direct ship sampling/bathymetry survey. GER data were used to simulate the spectral response of Landsat-5 TM to define advantages of GER data for bathymetric mapping. It was concluded that under the attending conditions radiometric resolution is at least as important as hyperspectral selectivity for bathymetric applications. However the potential for hyperspectral instruments such as GER to increase radiometric resolution by integrating data within optimal band-widths must be considered a significant advantage for bathymetric mapping.