Estuario Weekly Update
This week, we celebrate significant accomplishments in the watershed: from a successful Family Day with a focus on plastic reduction, to talks, plantings, and hikes that continue to connect the communities of the San Juan Bay Estuary (SJBE) with their waters.
We continue the collaborative planning of the Estuario Comprehensive Conservation and Management Plan (CCMP), strengthen inter-municipal alliances and promote concrete actions for the health of our waters. Below, learn how you can be part of this collective effort for more resilient, cleaner and sustainable ecosystems.
Successful Family Day
The San Juan Bay Estuary Partnership (SJBEP) held its most recent Family Day at the Condado Lagoon Natural Estuarine Reserve, on Saturday, July 5th; this time celebrating “A summer without plastic”.
Installation of “No Fishing” signs
The activities began at 1:00 p.m., where the citizens and group, Amigos de la Laguna, joined the SJBEP team to install the No Fishing signs around the Condado Lagoon; an important step to continue preserving the biodiversity and supporting the restoration of the aquatic ecosystems of this estuarine system. We thank the Department of Natural and Environmental Resources (DNER) for providing the signs, the Municipality of San Juan for their support and above all to the citizen guardians of this body of water.
Talks and tours
After the installation of the signs, we enjoyed an educational talk about hard corals tissue loss disease. The talk was given by the expert, Sandra Schleier, who on behalf of the DNER, guided us on the consequences of the disease, the challenges and the current treatments that are being provided in Puerto Rico to ensure the health of the coral ecosystem.
Afterwards, the participants enjoyed the underwater dive “Discovering urban reefs,” with the SJBEP Coastal Resilience Coordinator, Mineris Figueroa. On this activity, they learned about the most common corals in the area, their ecological role, current threats, and what we can do to protect them.
Parallel to the dive, several volunteers had the experience of learning about the plants of the SJBE and their relationship with water quality. Here, participants shared experiences related to plants, ate “pomarrosas” and learned about the ecological role of plants in improving water quality.
Focus on Act 51-2022
The participants received an important talk on Act 51-2022, “Law to Prohibit the Sale and Use of Single-Use Plastics.” Stacy Larancuent, from the Estuario Aquatic Debris team, guided us on the law, its importance, its implications and its status. Through the talk, Stacy presented us with options to replace single-use plastics, to be responsible consumers and to participate in an appropriate way in this change that is so necessary for our Island.
The Family Day closed with the usual Cine del Estuario, where approximately 140 people gathered to enjoy the movie “Inside Out 2”.
We thank Jose Ramos, administrator of the Jaime Benítez Park, for his constant collaboration in our events, Sandra Schleier and the DNER for supporting us with the talk and with the “No fishing” signs, all the volunteers, the group Amigos de la Laguna, and the public for their support in the installation of the signs. Thanks also to José Julián González Santiago, for his constant protection of the Condado Lagoon Natural Estuarine Reserve.
The next Family Day will be on Saturday, August 2.
We continue to strengthen the geospatial analysis of land cover for the economic valuation of the ecosystem goods and services of the SJBE
As a follow-up to the meetings held during the month of May, consulting team Metroeconómica has been meeting with local experts to identify additional information that will help strengthen the geospatial analysis of the soil cover of the SJBE basin. Once the geospatial analysis is completed, the team will proceed to the economic valuation of the goods and services of the SJBE.
Presentations of the infrastructure actions of the Estuario CCMP
After the recent round of reviews, it is appropriate to focus on the specific actions that will be included in the Estuario CCMP to address each of the five (5) goals set, starting with the first: Maintain and improve obsolete and poor gray and green infrastructure that negatively impacts the quality of water and sediments in the estuarine bed. Some topics we will be touching on include sanitary water, stormwater, drainage and water exchange infrastructure, to mitigate erosion and sediment transport, port and vessel, transport and mobility, collaborative monitoring of water quality and analysis of impacts coming from areas outside the current study area.
We will offer two presentations to generate inspiration and written comments:
Presentation to residents, neighbors, and friends of the region, on Tuesday, July 15, 2025, from 6:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. at the SJBEP offices in Santurce, San Juan, with virtual space.
Presentation to scientists, experts, and connoisseurs of the SJBE system, on Thursday, July 17, 2025, from 10:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. at the SJBEP offices in Santurce, San Juan, with virtual space.
Sign up today, at estuario.org/eventos. Prior to submission, you will receive your copy of the draft of the proposed actions directly by email to the address provided in your registration.
We greatly appreciate your support in sharing this information and ensuring that as many citizens, communities, scientists, and experts as possible can actively participate in this review.
Define with us the future of the waters of the metropolitan region of San Juan. See you there!
Meeting of Amigos de la Laguna
Join us for the next meeting of Amigos de la Laguna, on Wednesday, July 16, 2025, from 6:00 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. in the gazebo of the Jaime Benítez Park of the Condado Lagoon Natural Estuarine Reserve.
All neighbors, users and friends of the Reserve are invited.
The meeting will have a virtual space. To get the access link, sign up at: estuario.org/eventos.
Event: Un Sunset Diferente
This Saturday, July 12, the SJBEP joins the event: Un Sunset Diferente; where a land and aquatic cleanup will be carried out in the Condado Lagoon Natural Estuarine Reserve.
This effort will have an educational component that will culminate with an educational talk on Act 51-2022: Law to prohibit the sale and use of single-use plastics.
Join us to enjoy this Sunset in a conscious way, connecting with nature and conserving it.
Sign up for the event, HERE.
LimPiaR Recycling Pop-Up
On Saturday, July 19, the SJBEP will be present with its informative table at the monthly Recycling Pop-Up event; by LimPiaR, in the Miguel Fuentes Pinet Park at the municipality of Loíza. At our information table, we invite to protect water bodies by preventing vegetable oil from reaching the gray infrastructure, promoting the municipal vegetable oil diversion program and the importance of diverting this material from the water infrastructure and natural resources. We also make visible the joint campaign with LimPiaR: Deja una huella limpia en Piñones.
We recognize the Loíza Municipality’s Vegetable Oil Diversion Program for maintaining this effort and infrastructure. We thank LimPiaR for the invitation and follow-up to this event.
Visit of the Intermunicipal Network of Resource and Waste Management to the Ecological Preservation Center of the Municipality of Bayamón
A total of 16 people, including municipalities, entities and companies participated in the visit to the Bayamón Ecological Preservation Center last Thursday, July 3, 2024. As part of the efforts of the Intermunicipal Network for Integrated Management of Resources and Waste of the SJBE Basin, a visit to the Ecological Preservation Center was coordinated with the Municipality of Bayamón, where they have a program for the diversion of municipal vegetative material. This initiative encourages the recycling of organic matter and contributes significantly to the reduction of the volume of waste sent to the island’s landfills.
This visit sought to promote the exchange of experiences and knowledge among the member municipalities of the Intermunicipal Network for the Integrated Management of Resources and Waste of the SJBE, to strengthen existing initiatives and promote new alliances and opportunities for collaboration. We thank the Municipality of Bayamón for hosting this initiative, as well as the municipalities of San Juan, Guaynabo and Toa Baja, who were present. We are also grateful for the participation of representatives from Generación Circular.
Oil workshop at the Summer Camp of the Las Cucharillas Community Center
On Tuesday, July 2, 2025, the SJBEP held a workshop focused on the importance of correctly diverting vegetable oil for children and young people of the Recreational Summer of the Cucharillas Community Center. The workshop was led by the Estuario’s Aquatic Debris Project coordinators, Camila Rodríguez and Paul Lanctin.
This workshop sought to integrate the importance of conserving estuarine ecosystems with actions from home, such as correctly managing the vegetable oil that we use in our homes. A total of 36 students participated in the workshop.
Planting of coastal vegetation
On Saturday, June 28, 2025, we carried out the most recent field experience of the Coastal Resilience module of the Estuario Certification for Citizen Scientists, focused on dune ecosystem restoration.
About 17 participants planted and fed back past crops with up to 591 specimens of red mangrove, cocoplum, sea grapes, bay bean and palms, in Piñones, Loíza, led by the coordinators, Andreína Alexatos and Agnes Pagán. Thank you to all the citizen scientists who joined us.
Certification for Citizen Scientists
Below are the activities scheduled for the coming weeks. See more information in estuario.org/ccc. These activities count toward community and Contacto Verde hours.
Water Quality Monitoring Module
Field Experience of Water Quality Monitoring: Physical-chemical parameters; Monday, July 14, at 8:00 a.m. at Lake Las Curías and Río Piedras
Field Experience of Water Quality Monitoring: Physical-chemical parameters; Tuesday, July 15, at 9:00 a.m. at San Juan Bay
Field Experience of Water Quality Monitoring: Physical-chemical parameters; on Wednesday, July 16, at Laguna San José
Water Quality Monitoring Field Experience: Bacteriological Monitoring; Thursday, July 17, at 9:30 a.m. at the Condado Lagoon
Microplastics Characterization and Reduction Module
Workshop on Characterization and Reduction of Microplastics; Thursday, July 17, at 7:00 p.m. via Zoom
Coastal Resilience Module
Coastal Resilience Workshop: Ecological restoration of dunes and mangroves; Thursday, July 24, at 7:00 p.m. via Zoom
Coastal Resilience Field Experience: Planting coastal vegetation; on Saturday, July 26, at 8:00 a.m. in Piñones, Loíza
Coastal Resilience Field Experience: Ecological Assessment of Coral Reefs; Saturday, July 26, at 8:00 a.m. at the Condado Lagoon
Coastal Resilience Field Experience: Ecological Assessment of Seagrasses; Saturday, July 26, at 12:00 p.m. at the Condado Lagoon
Coastal Resilience Field Experience: Planting coastal vegetation; on Sunday, July 27, at 8:00 a.m. in Piñones, Loíza
Media coverage
July 6, 2025. Olivia Carmen Maule. Protección al ecosistema estuarino. Ciencia. El Nuevo Día. p. 42.
July 6, 2025. Olivia Carmen Maule. Nuevos rótulos de “No Pesca” en la Laguna del Condado buscan proteger el ecosistema estuario. Ciencia y Ambiente. El Nuevo Día. Web. https://www.elnuevodia.com/ciencia-ambiente/otros/notas/instalan-rotulos-de-no-pesca-en-la-laguna-del-condado-para-preservar-la-biodiversidad-de-la-reserva-estuarina/
Prepare for this Hurricane Season
Get ready for this hurricane season. Download the Estuario Community Hurricane Preparedness Guide and follow its recommendations. The strength and resilience of your community starts at home.
Also visit the Estuario Virtual Community Hub, where you’ll find vital information such as relevant emergency numbers and instructions for preparing emergency backpacks.
Don’t be alarmed! Prepare.
Weekly water quality monitoring
We thank the scientific citizens who supported this week’s bacteriological monitoring assessment, as part of the Estuario Water Quality Monitoring module. Here are the results.
Evaluation carried out on Thursday, July 10, 2025. We have a GREEN flag for the Condado Lagoon. We recommend avoiding the areas that have exceeded the “Beach Action Value” water quality parameter for 70 CFU/100 ML enterococci. Remember to avoid the water during rain events.
