Estuario Weekly Update
Estuarine greetings. Below, we share with you the next events, experiences and opportunities for training, research and professional growth, as well as the recent actions carried out in benefit of the management and restoration of the waters connected to the San Juan Bay Estuary (SJBE). Keep reading!
Come to the exhibition: El Estuario no está quieto
Antonio Martorell and his Friends invite you to the exhibition, El Estuario no está quieto (The Estuary is not quiet), on Saturday, August 8, 2026, starting at 1:00 p.m. at Taller Comunidad La Goyco.
The collective of artists led by Maestro Martorell joins the artists-in-residence of past years, who, since 2018, have fostered through multiple disciplines the connection between the SJBE resilient communities and their bodies of water. Don’t miss the result of this historic residence!
See more information, including the agenda of activities, at: estuario.org/eventos
See you there!
Note: Taller Comunidad La Goyco will have porta-potties available.
Interpretive tours through the Urban Forest Network
Explore the green spaces connected to the SJBE. Join the interpretive tours: Discovering the nature of urban forests; on the following dates:
Saturday, August 15, 2026, at 8:00 a.m. at the Piñones State Forest
Friday, August 21, at 8:00 a.m. at Julio E. Monagas Park
Register today, at: estuario.org/eventos
These interpretive tours count toward Green Contact or community service hours. All minors must be accompanied by an adult, who must register separately.
Employment Opportunity
Enroll in the Graduate Course: CIAM 8990
CIAM 8990: Innovative Approaches for Sustainable Water Resource Infrastructure; is an interdisciplinary course integrated into multiple sectors for the study of Socio-Ecological-Technological Systems (SETs). The project to revert the channeling of the Juan Méndez Creek will be presented as a case study and space to apply knowledge.
It seeks to offer and bring the student closer to the theory and tools to address aspects related to SETs when conducting research that promotes the resilience of highly vulnerable regions. The course is theoretical-practical and will integrate and apply the concepts of “systems thinking,” “collaborative work,” “integration with communities” and “interdisciplinary research.”
The course is open to graduate students from multiple faculties and programs (e.g. Natural Sciences, Planning, Social Sciences, Architecture, Engineering, Public Health).
At the end of the course, students will create a research proposal using the Juan Méndez Creek as a case study to compete for a 1-year scholarship (stipend) ($20,000 master’s, $30,000 doctorate). For more information, contact Dr. Jorge Ortiz Zayas (Dept. of Environmental Sciences, UPR-Río Piedras) at: [email protected]
Certification for Citizen Scientists
Below are the activities for the coming weeks. Remember that the workshops and field experiences count toward Contacto Verde or community service hours. Minors must be accompanied by an adult, who must register separately. See more information and register, at: estuario.org/ccc
Water Quality Monitoring Module
Field Experience: Bacteriological Monitoring; Thursday, Aug. 13, at 9:30 a.m. at the Condado Lagoon
Water Quality Monitoring Workshop: Physico-chemical parameters; Thursday, August 13, at 7:00 p.m. via Zoom
Field Experience: Bacteriological Monitoring; Thursday, Aug. 20, at 9:30 a.m. at the Condado Lagoon
Participatory Bird Census Module
Participatory Bird Census Workshop; Tuesday, August 18, at 7:00 p.m. on Zoom
Microplastics Characterization and Reduction Module
Workshop on Characterization and Reduction of Microplastics; Tuesday, August 11, at 7:00 p.m. via Zoom
Coastal Resilience Module
Coastal Redsilience Workshop: Ecological Assessment of Coral Reefs and Seagrasses; on Wednesday, August 12, at 7:00 p.m. via Zoom
Field Experience: Seed Collection; Saturday, August 15, at 8:00 a.m. in Hato Rey
Field Experience: Ecological Assessment of Coral Reefs; Saturday, August 15, at 8:00 a.m. at the Condado Lagoon
Field Experience: Ecological Assessment of Seagrasses; Saturday, August 15, at 12:00 p.m. at the Condado Lagoon
Coastal Resilience Workshop: Ecological Restoration of Dunes and Mangroves; Thursday, August 20, at 7:00 p.m. on Zoom
Field Experience: Seed Propagation; on Saturday, August 22, at 8:00 a.m. at Vivero Estuario in Centro Tau, Loíza
Field Experience: Ecological Assessment of Coral Reefs; Saturday, August 22, at 8:00 a.m. at the Condado Lagoon
Field Experience: Ecological Assessment of Seagrasses; Saturday, August 22, at 12:00 p.m. at the Condado Lagoon
SJBEP at Hazard Mitigation Fair
The San Juan Bay Estuary Partnership participated in the fair, Tu Casa Segura, Hogar Saludable: Huracanes y Terremotos (Your Safe House, Healthy Home: Hurricanes and Earthquakes); in the central atrium of Plaza Las Americas, on Friday, July 31, 2026. We guided those present on our Coastal Resilience module and on how green infrastructure protects the health of our waters and communities. Greetings to all who passed by our table!
Prepare for Hurricane Season
This 2026 hurricane season, SJBEP urges you to be prepared. Download the Community Hurricane Preparedness Guide and follow its recommendations. Protecting 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 scared! Get prepared.
Weekly water quality monitoring
Evaluation carried out on Thursday, August 6, 2026. We have a GREEN flag for the Condado Lagoon. We recommend, however, avoiding the areas that exceeded the “Beach Action Value” water quality parameter for 70 CFU/100 ML enterococci. Remember to avoid the water during rain events.
