Peter Koltermann, executive secretary of the United Nations Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission, told a meeting of around 30 Caribbean states that the likelihood of a tsunami hitting the region at some point was "probable."

He said a regional warning center could help prevent disasters like the 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami, which killed around 230,000 people.

Koltermann had said during a session on Wednesday that "the situation in the Indian Ocean was similar to the Caribbean. Nobody believed it would happen, but it happened."

He said Panama's interoceanic canal could be vulnerable to a sea surge from an underwater earthquake, and any shutdown would hit global trade. "If this canal does not work for one week, four weeks, or six weeks because of a tsunami, it is a huge danger and loss for the economy."

Participating countries included Jamaica, Barbados and Central American nations.

Although most tsunamis occur in the Pacific Ocean, experts estimate there have been around 105 tsunamis in the Caribbean and surrounding areas in the last 500 years, including one in Panama in 1882, causing more than 4,500 deaths.

It was not clear where the warning center would be located. Barbados, Puerto Rico and Venezuela were named as possible hosts by sources familiar with the discussions.

The centre's $250,000 annual budget is expected to be met by national governments, France and the United States -- who sent representatives to this week's meeting -- and the UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO).