Weekly Estuary Update
Greetings from the estuary! Through our weekly update, we highlight actions that strengthen the protection of our natural resources and encourage citizen participation for the benefit of the waters connected to the San Juan Bay estuary. Learn about upcoming recycling and volunteer activities, career opportunities, and educational activities below.
Reducing aquatic waste in estuary waters
It is part of several recycling and waste reduction initiatives across the San Juan Bay estuary watershed:
Recycling pop-up in Loíza
On Saturday, November 15, 2025, LimPiaR will hold its monthly event, Pop-up Recycling, from 10:00 am to 1:00 pm at Miguel Fuentes Pinet Park in Loíza.
We will accept plastics #1, #2, and #5, aluminum and brass cans, and unglazed corrugated cardboard. Bring your recyclables!
Call for volunteers for recycling stations at La Goyco Community Workshop
We continue to call for volunteers for the recycling stations at the La Goyco Community Workshop Christmas Lighting, on Saturday, December 6, 2025.
Your participation will count as field experience for the Microplastics Characterization and Reduction module of the Estuary Citizen Scientist Certification. Sessions will be three hours long.
Register today, HERE.
Blue Friday 2025
For the fourth consecutive year, the Tsunamis swimming group is calling for volunteers for the traditional Blue Friday cleanup of the Condado Lagoon Estuarine Nature Reserve on Friday, November 28, from 9:00 am to 11:00 am. The cleanup will consist of an aquatic cleanup for swimmers, a shore cleanup if you prefer not to enter the water, the removal of submerged debris, and support with kayaks or paddle boards, if you have one available.
Join the Tsunamis this Blue Friday and support the maintenance of County Lagoon! The meeting point will be at Jaime Benítez Park at 8:30 am. This year, the Tsunamis estimate they will need four or five rowboats to help remove materials from the water. If you can help, your assistance will be crucial.
To participate or request more information, contact Laura Magruder at 787-602-0279 or [email protected].
Call for research proposals—Scholarship for graduate students
The San Juan Bay Estuary will offer a scholarship for graduate students to develop and conduct studies aimed at understanding and addressing the complex problems identified in the Juan Méndez ravine in San Juan. Interested applicants are encouraged to focus their research proposals on topics related to ecosystem analysis, innovative problem-solving strategies, and community outreach.
The deadline is December 15, 2025. The scholarship period is six months. The scholarship is $10,000 for master's students and $15,000 for doctoral students. More information is available here.
Join us for an information session on Monday, November 17, 2025, at 3:00 pm via Zoom. Register here.
Job opportunities
Opportunities for professional services contracts
Audit & Tax Services Contract Announcement (2025)
Citizen Scientist Certification
Below are the activities scheduled for the coming weeks. Workshops and field experiences for the Estuary Citizen Scientist Certification count toward Green Touch hours or community service. See more information at: estuary.org/ccc.
Water Quality Monitoring
Field experience: Physical-chemical monitoring; Monday, November 17, at 8:00 am at Laguna San José/Torrecilla
Water Quality Monitoring Workshop: Bacteriological Monitoring ; Monday, November 17th, at 7:00 pm via Zoom
Field Experience: Physical-Chemical Monitoring; Tuesday, November 18, at 9:00 am in San Juan Bay
Field experience: Physical-chemical monitoring; Wednesday, November 19, at 8:30 am at Lake Las Curías and the Piedras River
Field Experience: Bacteriological Monitoring; Thursday, November 20, at 9:30 am at County Lagoon
Characterization and Reduction of Microplastics
Field Experience; Friday, November 21, 2025, at 9:00 am at the County Lagoon Estuarine Nature Reserve
Coastal Resilience
Coastal Resilience Workshop: Ecological Restoration of Dunes and Mangroves ; Tuesday, November 25, at 7:00 pm via Zoom
Field experience: Planting coastal vegetation; Saturday, November 29, at 8:00 am in Piñones
Field Experience: Seed and Plant Propagation; Sunday, November 30, at 8:00 am at Centro TAU, Loíza
Development of environmental protection in Puerto Rico
We are pleased to share the recent publication of the book: Development of Environmental Protection in Puerto Rico; written by a pioneer of environmental management on our Island and member of the Board of Directors of the San Juan Bay Estuary, geologist Pedro A. Gelabert.
In its pages, Gelabert recounts the history of our relationship with the environment, from indigenous peoples to the challenges of the present, reminding us that the conservation of our natural resources is a collective and generational task.
Learn more about the book launch and how to purchase it, via El Nuevo Día.
Prepare yourself this hurricane season
Prepare for this hurricane season. Download the Estuary Community Hurricane Preparedness Guide and follow its recommendations. Your community's strength and resilience begin 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, November 13, 2025. We have a GREEN flag for County Lagoon. However, we recommend avoiding areas that exceeded the water quality parameter for enterococci, "Beach Action Value," of 70 CFU/100 ML. Remember to avoid the water during rain events.
