Weekly Estuary Update
From stargazing and interpretive tours in urban green spaces to documenting actions across the watershed, see below the activities planned to benefit the restoration and management of the waters connected to the San Juan Bay estuary. Keep reading!
Opening of the exhibition “The Estuary is not still”
Last Saturday, August 8, 2026, the opening of the 2026 Estuary Artist-in-Residence exhibition, featuring Antonio Martorell and Friends, took place. With " The Estuary Is Not Still," the artists pay homage to the communities and waters of the San Juan Bay estuary. Through multiple disciplines, this exhibition makes tangible the colors, faces, sounds, words, stories, and artistic expressions of some of the communities surrounding the San Juan Bay estuary.
The art workshops that Maestro Martorell and his friends brought to these communities during their year-long artistic residency with the Estuary fostered spaces for creation, exchange, and learning, allowing the communities themselves to explore their relationship with water and the ecosystems that form part of their environment. The experiences, reflections, and creations that emerged from these workshops are given new life in * The Estuary Is Not Still*, inviting us to view our estuarine system from the experiences and perspectives of those who inhabit it, enjoy it, and live alongside it.
With this exhibition, Maestro Martorell and his Friends make it clear that understanding and caring for water is not a task that belongs solely to the scientific or environmental fields. Art can also help us understand, feel, and value this vital resource, strengthening our connection with the bodies of water and ecosystems that are part of our daily lives.
The exhibition, The Estuary is not still, will be available at the Taller Comunidad La Goyco gallery until August 27, 2026.
Don't miss out on visiting it!
An afternoon with the Estuary
The San Juan Bay Estuary and the Puerto Rico Astronomy Society invite you to An Afternoon with the Estuary on Friday, August 21, 2026, starting at 6:00 pm in Jaime Benítez Park at the Condado Lagoon Estuarine Nature Reserve. We will have the following activities:
[6:00 pm] Salsa class with instructor Michelle Rodriguez
[7:00 pm] From the Estuary to the Sky: A stargazing activity with the Puerto Rico Astronomy Society. We will observe the stars that form the Summer Triangle, the moon, Polaris, the constellation Scorpius, and more. We will have raffles and other surprises.
Don't miss it! No registration is required. Telescopes will be available, or you can bring your own. All minors must be accompanied by an adult.
Help us document restoration and conservation efforts in the estuary watershed
Each year, we document habitat restoration and conservation efforts implemented within the San Juan Bay estuary watershed. In doing so, we gather valuable information to support public investment in the region.
We urge all communities, organizations, or agencies that carry out restoration and conservation projects in the region to submit their projects corresponding to the period from October 1, 2025 to September 30, 2026, including pending projects.
These projects are reported to the EPA and Congress. The form must be completed by September 30, 2026. We thank all the entities that are part of this effort. Access the form: HERE.
Job opportunity
Opportunities for professional services contracts
Enroll in the graduate course: CIAM 8990
CIAM 8990: Innovative Approaches to Sustainable Water Resource Infrastructure; is an interdisciplinary course integrated with multiple sectors for the study of Socio-Ecological-Technological Systems (SETs). The Juan Méndez Creek channelization reversal project will be presented as a case study and a space for applying knowledge.
The aim is to provide students with the theory and tools to address issues related to Systems Thinking (SETs) when conducting research that promotes resilience in highly vulnerable regions. The course is both theoretical and practical, and will integrate and apply the concepts of systems thinking, collaborative work, community engagement, 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 Ravine as a case study to compete for a one-year scholarship (stipend) ($20,000 for master's studies, $30,000 for doctoral studies). For more information, contact Dr. Jorge Ortiz Zayas (Department of Environmental Sciences, UPR-Río Piedras) at: [email protected]
Citizen Scientist Certification
Here are the activities for the coming weeks. Remember that workshops and field experiences count toward Green Contact hours or community service. Minors must be accompanied by an adult, who must register separately. See more information at: estuary.org/ccc
Water Quality Monitoring Module
Field Experience: Bacteriological Monitoring; Thursday, August 20, at 9:30 am at County Lagoon
Field experience: Physical-chemical monitoring; Monday, August 24, at 8:30 am at Lake Las Curías and Río Piedras
Field Experience: Physical-Chemical Monitoring; Tuesday, August 25, at 9:00 am in San Juan Bay
Field experience: Physical-chemical monitoring; Wednesday, August 26, at 8:00 am at Laguna San José/La Torrecilla
Field Experience: Bacteriological Monitoring; Thursday, August 27, at 9:30 am at County Lagoon
Participatory Bird Census Module
Participatory Bird Census Workshop ; Tuesday, August 18, at 7:00 pm via Zoom
Field experience; Saturday, August 29, at 7:00 am at the Blasina Linear Walk, Carolina
Coastal Resilience Module
Coastal Resilience Workshop: Ecological Restoration of Dunes and Mangroves ; Thursday, August 20, at 7:00 pm via Zoom
Field Experience: Seed Propagation; Saturday, August 22, at 8:00 am at Vivero Estuario in Centro Tau, Loíza
Field Experience: Ecological Assessment of Coral Reefs; Saturday, August 22, at 8:00 am at County Lagoon
Field Experience: Ecological Assessment of Seagrasses; Saturday, August 22, at 12:00 pm at County Lagoon
Prepare yourself this hurricane season
This 2026 hurricane season, the San Juan Bay Estuary urges you to be prepared. Download the Community Hurricane Preparedness Guide and follow its recommendations. Protecting your community starts at home.
Also visit the Estuary Virtual Community Center , where you'll find vital information, such as relevant emergency numbers and instructions for preparing emergency kits.
Don't panic! Get ready.
Weekly bacteriological monitoring
Assessment conducted on Thursday, August 13, 2026. We have a GREEN flag for County Lagoon. We recommend avoiding the coastal area, which exceeded the "Beach Action Value" water quality parameter for enterococci of 70 CFU/100 ML. Remember to avoid the water during rain events. Have a good weekend.
