Estuary Update

Greetings from the estuary! Through our weekly update, we inform residents and friends of the communities in the San Juan Bay estuary watershed about events, projects, activities, and training opportunities.

Job opportunities

[JOB ANNOUNCEMENT] PROJECT OFFICER – BIPARTISAN INFRASTRUCTURE ACT FUNDING

Estuario is seeking qualified applicants for a full-time, experienced Project Officer position responsible for overseeing the successful project management and operations of Bipartisan Infrastructure Law (BIL) projects, including but not limited to water quality restoration, blue/green infrastructure, and climate/coastal resilience. See the job posting at: https://estuario.org/job-announcement-project-officer-bipartisan-infrastructure-law-funding/

[CONTRACT ANNOUNCEMENT] ESTUARY PROJECT COORDINATOR – CITIZEN SCIENTIST CERTIFICATION PROJECT

The Estuary Project Coordinator – Citizen Scientist Certification Project will be responsible for training citizens in the Coastal Resilience module of the Estuary Citizen Scientist Certification Project. See the call for applications at: https://estuario.org/contract-announcement-estuario-project-coordinator-citizen-scientist-certification-program-3/

2,200 mangroves planted as part of the Estuary's citizen science certification

On Saturday, April 22, 2023, International Mother Earth Day, a group of volunteers celebrated by planting 2,200 mangrove seedlings in the mangrove forest of Jobos Beach, Isabela.

View the photo gallery, here.

Certification of scientific citizens

The following are the scheduled thematic workshops and field trips as part of our citizen scientist certification:

Introductory workshops:

During the month of May we will be conducting a new round of introductory workshops on the thematic modules of water quality, participatory bird censuses, characterization and reduction of microplastics, and coastal resilience.

May 3: Introduction to Water Quality Monitoring – with Eliezer Nieves Rodríguez
May 10: Introduction to participatory bird censuses – with Eliezer Nieves Rodríguez
May 17: Introduction to microplastics and other aquatic debris – with Eliezer Nieves Rodríguez
May 24: Introduction to coastal resilience – with Patria Aponte Marcano

All workshops will be held virtually via Zoom from 7:00 pm to 8:00 pm.

Thematic module on coastal resilience:

In addition to the introductory workshop for the coastal resilience thematic module, we have the following workshops and field trips:

May 2: Thematic Workshop—Ecological Assessment of Coral Reefs; 7:00 pm – 8:00 pm via Zoom
May 6: Field Trip—Monitoring of Coral Communities; 8:00 am – 12:00 pm, the monitoring point will be shared upon registration
May 13: Field trip—Planting red mangrove: 8:00 am – 12:00 pm, in Isabela
May 30: Thematic workshop—Ecological restoration with planting of red mangrove; 7:00 pm – 8:00 pm via Zoom

Register today! See all events and additional information about the certification process and thematic modules at https://estuario.org/ccc/.

Family day out at the County Lagoon Estuarine Nature Reserve

Our family day out at Jaime Benítez Park is back! On Saturday, May 6, 2023, don't miss the following scheduled activities in honor of moms and for the whole family:

12:00 pm – Our information table opens
2:30 pm – Estuarine games for children: Learn through low-impact games for children, while mom enjoys the macrame workshop.
3:00 pm – Macrame workshop for mom: Come and learn how to make macrame crafts, we will make keychains and bookmarks.
4:00 pm – Pilates class for mom: Enjoy these mind-body controlled exercises, designed especially for moms. Don't forget to bring your mat.
5:00 pm – DJ Kids—Sunset Silent Disco Party: An eco-conscious and environmentally friendly event that teaches us different ways to enjoy nature in a healthy way. Come and enjoy the talent of these young DJs. You must register to get your headphones; ID will be required. Bring your reusable water bottle.
7:00 pm – Estuary Cinema presents: Dune (2021)

The activities are open to the public and free of charge. You can confirm your attendance at the family day out to receive updates and additional information at https://estuario.org/eventos/ . We look forward to seeing you!

Estuary Cinema

Following the family outing, Cine del Estuario presents: Dune (2021), at 7:00 pm in Jaime Benítez Park at the Condado Lagoon Estuarine Nature Reserve. Bring your blanket or chair!

Media coverage and publications

Leysa Caro González. April 26, 2023. Natural Resources denies that it is experiencing a crisis with the flood control pump system. Government. El Nuevo Día. Web.

April 25, 2023. Interview with María Gabriela Huertas Díaz. Teleonce. Web.

April 24, 2023. Mangroves return to the coast of Isabela. Find out more. El Nuevo Día. p.2.

Mónika Candelaria. April 24, 2023. Interview with Brenda Torres Barreto. Dawn News. wapa.tv. Web.

Luisa Sotero. April 23, 2023. Another sewage spill reported in Condado. Telenoticias. Telemundo PR. Web.

Valeria María Torres Nieves. April 23, 2023. The San Juan Bay Estuary urges people to stay away from Condado Beach due to stormwater runoff. Local News. El Nuevo Día. Web.

Patria I. Aponte Marcano. April 22, 2023. Urgent need to restore coral reefs. Opinion. El Nuevo Día. p.44.

Renia Rosa. April 22, 2023. Urgent call to curb plastic pollution. Supplements. El Nuevo Día. pp. 4-5. [Web version]

Weekly bacteriological monitoring

Assessment conducted on Thursday, April 27, 2023. We have a RED flag at the Condado Lagoon Estuarine Nature Reserve. Although the calculations show a measurement below the water quality parameter for enterococci (70 CFU/100mL), we recommend avoiding the water since four of the five stations showed elevated bacteriological counts.