Weekly Estuary Update
April is Citizen Science Month! This week, we're sharing opportunities to get involved in Puerto Rico's Water Quality Day, participate in educational and community activities, and continue contributing, little by little, to the restoration and management of the waters connected to the San Juan Bay estuary.
Support the Estuary with your Refund
This tax season, consider donating part of your refund to conservation and management efforts for the waters and ecosystems connected to the San Juan Bay estuary.
Look for the option “Contribution to the Special Fund for the San Juan Bay Estuary”which you will find in the box “Refund” on page 1 of your form.
This method is possible thanks to Law 48 of 2009, which establishes the Special Fund for the San Juan Bay Estuary.
Learn about the different ways to donate to the Estuary at: estuary.org/donate.
Puerto Rico Water Quality Day
The Puerto Rico Water Quality DayThe largest citizen science event on the island!
In two weeks, on Saturday, April 18, 2026, from 9:00 am to 11:00 am, you will join other citizen scientists from the archipelago to assess the water quality of rivers, streams, lagoons, reservoirs, and beaches near you and collect data that contributes to a better understanding of the health of water bodies, using the monitoring kit provided by the Estuary.
If you haven't signed up yet, now's the time. Create your group, choose your body of water, and register today at estuary.org/waterqualityday.
Take advantage of the open training workshop we'll be holding on Wednesday, April 8, 2026, from 6:00 pm to 7:00 pm via Facebook Live. This is a great opportunity to show your family and friends how Puerto Rico's Water Quality Day is conducted. Sign up here To receive a notification when we go live. Share it!
Family day out at the County Lagoon Estuarine Nature Reserve
Celebrate Puerto Rico's 18th Annual Water Quality Day with the Estuary! Join us for the next Family Day Out at the Condado Lagoon Estuarine Nature Reserve on Saturday, April 18, 2026, starting at 9:00 a.m. at Jaime Benítez Park. We will have the following activities:
Water Quality Monitoring Educational Activity #1 (Green Contact/Community Service) [9:00 am]
Water Quality Monitoring Educational Activity #2 (Green Contact/Community Service) [10:00 am]
Sports activity [2:30 pm]
Talk about the San Juan Bay estuary (Green Contact/community service) [3:00 pm]
Botanical tour: Useful plants of the County Lagoon Nature Reserve and their importance in water quality (Green Contact/community service) [3:30 pm]
Educational estuarine games (Green Contact/community service) [4:30 pm]
Educational talk and trivia: The water quality of the San Juan Bay estuary (Green Contact/community service) [5:30 pm]
Don't miss this special edition of the Estuary Family Day Out! Several activities will count toward Green Contact hours or community service, as applicable. No registration is required. For any questions or comments, please write to us at: [email protected].
Estuary Cinema
Estuary Cinema presents: A Minecraft Movie; Saturday, April 18, 2026, at 7:00 pm at Jaime Benítez Park in the Condado Lagoon Estuarine Nature Reserve. The film will be shown in Spanish with English subtitles. This screening is free. No registration is required. Bring your blanket or chair!
Earth Day
On Saturday, April 25th, we celebrate Earth Day!
In commemoration of this day, Estuario has scheduled activities throughout the month, from training workshops and field experiences on water quality, aquatic ecosystems and biodiversity, to interpretive tours and participatory science events.
See the calendar of activities at: estuary.org/events.
5K Estuary in the Botanical Garden
Join a race like no other, held entirely within the grounds of the Río Piedras Botanical Garden. We have an updated route, perfect for runners and walkers of all levels. You'll traverse trails, admiring streams and lakes, listening to birdsong, and enjoying the shade of centuries-old native trees. There will be a 1K segment for children. The kids will have fun at their own pace!
The second edition of the Estuary 5K will be on Sunday, May 17, 2026, at 7:00 am at the Rio Piedras Botanical Garden in San Juan.
The Estuary 5K is carried out with the endorsement and close collaboration of the Botanical Garden of the University of Puerto Rico.
We are looking for adult volunteers for the Estuary 5K.
There are still spaces available for volunteers. adults (18 years and older) to support the Estuary 5K race at the Botanical Garden, from 6:00 am to 10:00 am on May 17, 2026. Event volunteers will receive a t-shirt and have reserved parking at the DRNA building, steps from the event. They will be required to attend a virtual orientation meeting via Zoom, which we will announce later.
Sign up as a volunteer for the Estuary 5K, en estuary.org/events.
Opportunities for professional services contracts
Actions for the reduction of aquatic waste
In the watershed of the San Juan Bay estuary.
A special greeting to Margarita Marcial, Susana del Valle, Paola Monserrate, Sara Quiroga, and Soleil Alvarado, who joined us last Friday, March 26, on the journey to remove, identify, and characterize microplastics from the surface of the Blasina Canal and Torrecilla Lagoon, as part of the Microplastic Characterization and Reduction module of the Estuary Citizen Scientist Certification. Thank you for contributing to this effort and for your involvement in the restoration and conservation of our waterways.
Strengthening our coasts
On Friday, March 6, 23 participants, including students from the American Military Academy, took part in a field experience at Condado Lagoon as part of the Coastal Resilience module of the Estuary Citizen Scientist Certification. During the day, they planted 27 coastal plants, including red mangrove, white mangrove, and button mangrove. They also collected approximately 988 red mangrove propagules for future restoration efforts.
The activity combined learning and action, integrating planting, stake replacement, and seed collection as key steps to strengthen our coastal ecosystems. Thank you to all the citizen scientists who participated. Every action contributes to the good health of our coasts.
See more scheduled activities as part of the Coastal Resilience module below.
Citizen Scientist Certification
Below are the activities scheduled for the coming weeks. Remember that all workshops and field experiences count toward Green Contact hours or community service. See more information at [website address]. estuary.org/ccc.
Water Quality Monitoring Module
Water Quality Monitoring Workshop: Bacteriological Monitoring; on Thursday, April 9th, at 7:00 pm via Zoom
Field experience: Bacteriological monitoring; on Thursday, April 16, 2026, at 9:30 am at the County Lagoon
Water Quality Monitoring Workshop: Physical-Chemical Parameters; on Thursday, April 16th, at 7:00 pm via Zoom
Participatory Bird Census Module
Participatory Bird Census Workshop; on Tuesday, April 7th, at 7:00 pm via Zoom
Field experience; on Friday, April 10, at 7:00 am at the University of Puerto Rico, Río Piedras Campus
Coastal Resilience Module
Field experience: Seed collection and propagation; on Saturday, April 11, at 8:00 am in Piñones
Field experience: Ecological assessment of coral reefs; on Saturday, April 11, at 8:00 am at the County Lagoon
Field experience: Ecological assessment of coral reefs; on Saturday, April 11, at 12:00 pm at the County Lagoon
Coastal Resilience Workshop: Ecological Assessment of Coral Reefs and Seagrasses; on Tuesday, April 14th, at 7:00 pm via Zoom
Field experience: Seed collection; on Friday, April 17, at 8:00 am in Hato Rey
Field experience: Ecological assessment of coral reefs; on Saturday, April 18, at 8:00 am at the County Lagoon
Field experience: Ecological assessment of seagrasses; on Saturday, April 18, at 12:00 pm at the County Lagoon
Weekly bacteriological monitoring
Assessment conducted on Thursday, April 2, 2026. We have a GREEN flag for County Lagoon. However, we recommend avoiding areas that 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.
