Estuario Weekly Update
From stargazing and interpretive tours in urban green spaces to documenting actions across the watershed, see below the activities scheduled in benefit of the restoration and management of the waters connected to the San Juan Bay Estuary (SJBE). Keep reading!
Opening of the exhibition “El Estuario no está quieto”
On Saturday, August 8, 2026, the opening of the exhibition of the San Juan Bay Estuary Partnership (SJBEP)’s Artist-in-Residence, Antonio Martorell and his Friends, took place. With El Estuario no está quieto (The Estuary Is Not Quiet), the artists pay homage to the communities and the waters of the SJBE. Through multiple disciplines, in this exhibition, the colors, faces, sounds, words, stories and artistic expressions of some of the communities surrounding the SJBE are made tangible.
The artistic workshops that Maestro Martorell and his Friends brought to these communities during the past year of their artistic residency with the SJBEP provided spaces for creation, exchange and learning in which the communities themselves were able to explore their relationship with the water and the ecosystems that are part of their environment. The experiences, reflections and creations that emerged from these workshops take on new life in El Estuario no está quieto, inviting us to look at our estuarine system from the experiences and perspectives of those who inhabit it, enjoy it and coexist with it.
With this exhibition, Maestro Martorell and his Friends make it clear that knowing and caring for our water is not a task that belongs only to the scientific or environmental field. Art can also help us understand, feel, and value this vital resource, strengthening our connection to the bodies of water and ecosystems that are part of our daily lives.
The exhibition, El Estuario no está quieto, will be available at the gallery of Taller Comunidad La Goyco until August 27, 2026.
Don’t miss out!
An Evening with the Estuary
The SJBEP and the Astronomy Society of Puerto Rico invite you to An Evening with the Estuary, on Friday, August 21, 2026, starting at 6:00 p.m. at the Jaime Benítez Park of the Condado Lagoon Natural Estuarine Reserve. We will have the following activities:
[6:00 p.m.] Salsa class with instructor, Michelle Rodriguez
[7:00 p.m.] From the Estuary to the Sky: A Sky Observation Activity with the Astronomical Society of Puerto Rico. We will observe the stars that form the summer triangle, the moon, the star Polaris, the constellation of Scorpio and more. We will have raffles and other surprises.
Don’t miss it! No registration is required. Telescopes will be available; you can also bring your own. All minors must be accompanied by an adult.
Help us document restoration and conservation efforts in the SJBE watershed
Each year, we document habitat restoration and conservation efforts implemented within the SJBE watershed. Thus, we gather valuable information to support public investment in the region.
We urge all communities, organizations, or agencies carrying out restoration and conservation projects in the region to submit their projects for the period from October 1, 2025 to September 30, 2026, including pending projects.
These actions are reported to EPA and Congress. The form must be completed by September 30, 2026. We thank all the entities that are part of this effort. Access the form: HERE.
Employment Opportunity
Professional Services Contract Opportunities
Enroll in the Graduate Course: CIAM 8990
CIAM 8990: Innovative Approaches for Sustainable Water Resource Infrastructure; is an interdisciplinary course integrated into multiple sectors for the study of Socio-Ecological-Technological Systems (SETs). The project to revert the channeling of the Juan Méndez Creek will be presented as a case study and space to apply knowledge.
It seeks to offer and bring the student closer to the theory and tools to address aspects related to SETs when conducting research that promotes the resilience of highly vulnerable regions. The course is theoretical-practical and will integrate and apply the concepts of “systems thinking,” “collaborative work,” “integration with communities” and “interdisciplinary research.”
The course is open to graduate students from multiple faculties and programs (e.g. Natural Sciences, Planning, Social Sciences, Architecture, Engineering, Public Health).
At the end of the course, students will create a research proposal using the Juan Méndez Creek as a case study to compete for a 1-year scholarship (stipend) ($20,000 master’s, $30,000 doctorate). For more information, contact Dr. Jorge Ortiz Zayas (Dept. of Environmental Sciences, UPR-Río Piedras) at: [email protected]
Certification for Citizen Scientists
Below are the activities for the coming weeks. Remember that the workshops and field experiences count toward Contacto Verde or community service hours. Minors must be accompanied by an adult, who must register separately. See more information and register, at: estuario.org/ccc
Water Quality Monitoring Module
Field Experience: Bacteriological Monitoring; Thursday, Aug. 20, at 9:30 a.m. at the Condado Lagoon
Field Experience: Physical-chemical monitoring; Monday, August 24, at 8:30 a.m. at Las Curías and Río Piedras
Field Experience: Physical-chemical monitoring; Tuesday, August 25, at 9:00 a.m. at San Juan Bay
Field Experience: Physical-chemical monitoring; Wednesday, August 26, at 8:00 a.m. at San José/La Torrecilla Lagoons
Field Experience: Bacteriological Monitoring; Thursday, Aug. 27, at 9:30 a.m. at the Condado Lagoon
Participatory Bird Census Module
Participatory Bird Census Workshop; Tuesday, August 18, at 7:00 p.m. on Zoom
Field experience; Saturday, August 29, at 7:00 a.m. at Paseo Lineal Blasina, Carolina
Coastal Resilience Module
Coastal Resilience Workshop: Ecological restoration of dunes and mangroves; Thursday, August 20, at 7:00 p.m. on Zoom
Field Experience: Seed Propagation; on Saturday, August 22, at 8:00 a.m. at Vivero Estuario in Centro Tau, Loíza
Field Experience: Ecological Assessment of Coral Reefs; Saturday, August 22, at 8:00 a.m. at the Condado Lagoon
Field Experience: Ecological Assessment of Seagrasses; Saturday, August 22, at 12:00 p.m. at the Condado Lagoon
Prepare for Hurricane Season
This 2026 hurricane season, SJBEP urges you to be prepared. Download the Community Hurricane Preparedness Guide and follow its recommendations. Protecting your community starts at home.
Also visit the Estuario Virtual Community Hub, where you’ll find vital information such as relevant emergency numbers and instructions for preparing emergency backpacks.
Don’t be scared! Get prepared.
Weekly water quality monitoring
Evaluation carried out on Thursday, August 13, 2026. We have a GREEN flag for the Condado Lagoon. We recommend avoiding the coastal area that exceeded the “Beach Action Value” water quality parameter for enterococci of 70 CFU/100 ML. Remember to avoid the water during rain events.
