The Central American Regional Environmental Program Coastal Component project (ended August 2001) was designed to promote coastal-marine conservation in the Central American region and provided technical assistance using methodologies and principles of integrated coastal zone management, strongly based on field experiences. PROARCA/Costas worked regionally to assist policies that would strengthen the Central American agenda for the conservation of coastal-marine resources, as well as in the field in transboundary zones identified as priority sites, for their biological and geopolitical importance. The PROARCA/Costas project sites included the Gulf of Honduras (Belize-Guatemala-Honduras), the Miskito Cays (Nicaragua-Honduras), the Gulf of Fonseca (Honduras-El Salvador and Nicaragua), and Gandoca/Bocas del Toro (Costa Rica-Panama). PROARCA/Costas worked with local organizations on priority issues, creating relationships between local and national organizations and influencing political decisions at national and regional levels. The project served the needs of the sites, providing information, technical assistance, training and financial resources.