Several research programmes of CIRAD (Centre de Coopération en Recherche Agronomique pour le Développement) target invasive species in the Caribbean. These programmes deal primarily with pathogens (bacteria, bacteria-like, fungi and viruses) of major crops grown in the French West Indies (Guadeloupe and Martinique) and elsewhere in the Caribbean, such as banana, sugarcane and coconut. CIRAD has developed new tools for the detection of some of these pathogens: Ralstonia solanacearum (causal agent of Moko disease), Mycosphaerella fijiensis (causal agent of Black Sigatoka disease, BSD), Banana streak viruses (BSV), Banana mild mosaic virus (BanMMV) and banana virus X (BVX). Using these and existing detection tools, the presence, prevalence and diversity of pathogens established on or threatening banana, sugarcane and coconut in the Caribbean were investigated. These investigations resulted in recommendations for the control of the above-mentioned pathogens. Also, several of the detection techniques developed in these investigations were successfully transferred to Caribbean Plant Protection Services, paving the way for the development and implementation of a regional surveillance network of crop diseases.