We explore the origins of the first pre-agricultural populations in the Caribbean, focusing on archaic settlements in the Samaná area, Dominican Republic. Through archaeological, genetic, and paleoenvironmental research, we study human adaptation to the marine ecosystem during the pre-Columbian period. Our investigations at El Pozito, an important archaic site, are revealing key details about the ancient communities that inhabited these lands, revealing how these pre-ceramic civilizations exploited natural resources and developed complex cultural and subsistence networks.