Weekly Estuary Update
Estuarine greetings! This week, we're sharing more ways you can contribute to the restoration and management of the waters connected to the San Juan Bay estuary. From educational activities and opportunities to get involved, to family events and conservation efforts, see all the ways to join the collective work for a healthy and strong estuary below.
Family day out
Join us for the next Family Day Out at the Condado Lagoon Estuarine Nature Reserve on Saturday, December 6, 2025, at Jaime Benítez Park. We'll begin at 3:30 pm with a linoleum printing workshop, followed by a botanical tour and a workshop on the ecological restoration of dunes and mangroves. See all the details at estuary.org/events.
The Family Day Trip provides opportunities to accumulate Green Contact hours or community service, as applicable. For questions or comments, please write to us at: [email protected].
Estuary Cinema
Estuary Cinema presents a new showing of Superman (2025) on Saturday, December 6, 2025, at 7:00 pm in Jaime Benítez Park at the Condado Lagoon Estuarine Nature Reserve. The film will be shown in Spanish with English subtitles. This showing is free. Bring your blanket or chair!
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.
Job opportunity
Opportunities for professional services contracts
Reducing aquatic waste in the estuary
The following are recent recycling and waste reduction initiatives and actions across the San Juan Bay estuary watershed:
Christmas party at La Goyco
The San Juan Bay Estuary will be present at the La Goyco Community Workshop Christmas Party on Saturday, December 6, 2025, supporting the event as part of environmental awareness and materials diversion efforts.
Find us at recycling stations!
Blue Friday 2025
On Friday, November 28, 2025, 35 volunteers joined the fourth annual Blue Friday, a coastal cleanup event organized by the Los Tsunamis swimming group, at the County Lagoon Estuarine Nature Reserve.
Volunteers removed six bags of trash from the waters and shores of the Reserve, totaling 161 pounds. Among the most prominent items found were aluminum cans, glass bottles, fishing gear, single-use plastics, textiles, buoys, paddles, and beach chairs, among other things.
Thanks to all the volunteers present for their dedication, commitment and energy, and to the Los Tsunamis group for their continued support in the management and protection of the Reserve.
See you next Blue Friday!
Microplastics assessment in County
Three volunteers studied the presence of microplastics in the County Lagoon Estuarine Nature Reserve, as a field experience of the Microplastics Characterization and Reduction module of the Estuary Citizen Scientist Certification, on Friday, November 21, 2025.
Thanks to Ivan Cosme, Camelia Ballester and Delianie Negrón for their action and environmental commitment.
See more events where you can contribute to the restoration and management of ecosystems connected to the San Juan Bay estuary below.
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
Water Quality Monitoring Workshop: Bacteriological Monitoring ; Tuesday, December 9th, at 7:00 pm via Zoom
Field Experience: Bacteriological Monitoring; Thursday, December 11, at 9:30 am at County Lagoon
Water Quality Monitoring Workshop: Physical-Chemical Parameters ; Thursday, December 11, at 7:00 pm via Zoom
Field experience: Physical-chemical monitoring; Monday, December 15, at 8:30 am at Lake Las Curías and the Piedras River
Field Experience: Physical-Chemical Monitoring; Tuesday, December 16, at 9:00 am in San Juan Bay
Field experience: Physical-chemical monitoring; Wednesday, December 17, at 8:00 am at Laguna San José/Torrecilla
Field Experience: Bacteriological Monitoring; Thursday, December 18, at 9:30 am at County Lagoon
Coastal Resilience
Field Experience: Seed and Plant Propagation; Sunday, December 14, at 8:00 am at Centro TAU, Loíza
Coastal Resilience Workshop: Ecological Restoration of Dunes and Mangroves ; Tuesday, December 16, at 7:00 pm via Zoom
Field experience: Planting coastal vegetation; Saturday, December 20th, at 8:00 am in Piñones
Weekly bacteriological monitoring
Assessment conducted on Thursday, December 4, 2025. We have a RED flag for County Lagoon. 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.
