Weekly Estuary Update
The day has arrived! Tomorrow, Saturday, April 13, Earth Month, will be Puerto Rico's sixteenth Water Quality Day. We thank the collaborators who have supported us with the training workshops, and we hope that the event will be a memorable and edifying one.
Below are the upcoming activities scheduled to benefit the ecosystems and communities of the San Juan Bay estuary. Remember that you can see all our events at: estuary.org/events.
Puerto Rico Water Quality Day
The sixteenth Puerto Rico Water Quality Day will be on Saturday, April 13, from 9:00 am to 11:00 am across the entire island.
You've already registered for your group and picked up your kit. During the event, remember to follow the safety protocols reviewed during the workshops, and submit the collected data in the Water Quality Day Form, available on the event portal.
If you were unable to pick up your kit, no problem. There will be activities led by collaborators that you can attend and participate in. The meeting points are:
In the metro area:
- Botanical Garden of the University of Puerto Rico, Río Piedras
- County Lagoon Estuarine Nature Reserve
in the western area:
in the southern area:
and in the eastern area:
Kits will be available that you can use to assess water quality with other members of the public, from 9:00 am to 11:00 am. Take photos and tag us on our social media! @estuariosanjuan (Facebook, Instagram and X).
Certification of scientific citizens
Below are the workshops and field trips scheduled for the coming weeks. See all events at: estuary.org/ccc
April 16 – Thematic workshop: Identification and census of marine fish; with Daritzel Cintrón, coastal resilience coordinator, from 7:00 pm to 8:00 pm via Zoom
April 18 – Thematic workshop: Coastal restoration of dunes and mangroves; with Andreína Alexatos, arborist, from 7:00 pm to 8:00 pm via Zoom
April 20 – Field trip: ecological assessment of coral communities; with Daritzel Cintrón, from 7:00 am to 11:00 am. Location to be announced.
April 24 – Field trip: ecological assessment of seagrasses; with Daritzel Cintrón, from 8:00 am to 11:00 am at the County Lagoon
April 27 – Field trip: planting coastal vegetation; with Andreína Alexatos, from 8:30 am to 11:30 am at Playita San Gerónimo
April 28 – Field trip: ecological assessment of seagrasses; with Daritzel Cintrón, from 8:00 am to 11:00 am at Puente Dos Hermanos beach
April 25 – Thematic workshop: Endemic birds of Puerto Rico found in the Estuary basin; with Eliezer Nieves, from 7:00 pm to 8:00 pm via Zoom
April 26 – Field trip: participatory bird census; with Coral Avilés and Eliezer Nieves, from 7:00 am to 9:00 am at the Río Piedras Botanical Garden
Register today at: estuary.org/ccc
Job opportunities
Senior Project Lead for the Juan Mendez Creek Restoration— This contractor will act as project liaison and will be responsible for leading the technical aspects of the project; carry out the reconnaissance study and develop the report, manage data, support coordination with USACE and carry out any other tasks needed to manage technical aspects for the Juan Mendez Creek Restoration.
Coastal cleanup with Scuba Dogs Society
On Saturday, April 27, 2024, from 8:00 am to 12:00 pm, Estuario will be collaborating with Scuba Dogs Society on a deep clean at Playita del Condado. Simultaneous cleanups will be conducted on the shore and seabed through free diving and snorkeling. This activity counts towards Green Contact hours or community service. See more information at: scubadogssociety.org/calendar and choose the option San Juan Bay Estuary Join us! We look forward to seeing you!
Other activities
We congratulate the young Scout Rosemary Morales González, from troop 377, who passed her final evaluation for the Bird Study merit badge with outstanding results.
Rosemary participated in both virtual workshops offered by the Estuary, in collaboration with the Guaitiao District and the Puerto Rico Council of the Boy Scouts of America. She also participated in one of the Gamaliel Pagán Hernández Christmas bird censuses. Congratulations!
Media coverage
April 8, 2024. San Juan Bay Estuary will celebrate "Water Quality Day" by monitoring water bodies on the island. Local. Metro PR. Web. https://www.metro.pr/noticias/2024/04/08/estuario-de-la-bahia-de-sj-celebrara-el-dia-de-la-calidad-del-agua-monitoreando-cuerpos-de-aguas-en-la-isla/?outputType=amp
Editorial Staff. April 9, 2024. Citizens are invited to participate in the sixteenth annual Water Quality Day. El Vocero. Web. https://www.elvocero.com/actualidad/invitan-a-la-ciudadan-a-a-participar-de-la-decimosexta-edici-n-del-d-a/article_86b4c180-f61e-11ee-baa8-73c43710fd86.html
9 April 2024. Citizens are invited to participate in Water Quality Day. Science and Technology. Primera Hora. Web. https://www.primerahora.com/noticias/ciencia-tecnologia/notas/invitan-a-la-ciudadania-a-participar-del-dia-de-calidad-de-agua/
Editorial Staff. April 9, 2024. San Juan Bay Estuary Program seeks volunteers for Water Quality Day. Science and Environment. El Nuevo Día. Web. https://www.elnuevodia.com/ciencia-ambiente/otros/notas/programa-del-estuario-de-la-bahia-de-san-juan-busca-voluntarios-para-el-dia-de-calidad-de-agua/
Support us with your refund
When you make your individual contribution this 2024, support the Estuary with a tax refund. Look for the option “Contribution to the Special Fund for the San Juan Bay Estuary”, on the line 1B of the boxing “Refund”. Read more, here.
Weekly bacteriological monitoring
Evaluation conducted on Thursday, April 11, 2024. We have a GREEN flag for County Lagoon. All stations met the "Beach Action Value" water quality standard for enterococci of 70 CFU/100 mL. However, we remind you to avoid the water if there is rain. Have a great weekend!
